PROGNOSTIC-SIGNIFICANCE OF PCNA GRADE IN MALIGNANT-MELANOMA

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) grade (a semi-quantitative a ssessment of the entire tumor profile) and estimation whether PCNA gra de is low (0-50% positive cells) or high (51-100% positive cells) has been demonstrated to be of prognostic significance in gastric carcinom a. Sixteen vertical growth phase melanomas with 8 or more years of cli nical follow-up were reacted with antibody to PCNA. PCNA grade was ind ependently evaluated by both authors without knowledge of clinical out come. PCNA grade was subsequently correlated with clinical outcome and other prognostic indicators. Agreement in assigning PCNA grade was no ted between the two observers in 13/16 cases. However, PCNA grade fail ed to accurately predict patient survival or death. Additionally, PCNA grade was not significantly correlated with other recognized prognost ic attributes. While interpretation of the prognostic significance of PCNA grade based upon this small series of cases should be conservativ e, a semi-quantitative estimate of PCNA-positive cells appears to have little utility in predicting the clinical outcome in malignant melano ma.