CLINICAL-SIGNIFICANCE OF NUCLEAR-DNA PLOIDY PATTERN IN NONSEMINOMATOUS GERM-CELL TESTICULAR-TUMORS

Objective. To evaluate the clinical significance of DNA ploidy pattern for patients with nonseminomatous germ cell testicular tumors who did not receive platinum-based chemotherapy. Methods. Flow cytometric nuc lear DNA ploidy analysis of paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were used. Results. All patients underwent radical orchiectomy with or without r etroperitoneal lymphadenectomy between 1960 and 1980. Mean follow-up t ime was eight years. Nineteen percent of the tumors were DNA diploid a nd 81 percent were DNA aneuploid. Signs of local tumor extension (sper matic cord involvement or vascular invasion) were found in 20 tumors, all were classified as DNA aneuploid (P < 0.04). After primary treatme nt 9 patients who were clinically cured experienced disease progressio n; only 1 of them had DNA diploid tumor; the rest were DNA aneuploid ( P < 0.05). The ten-year survival rate was higher for patients having D NA diploid tumors compared with those with DNA aneuploid neoplasms (86 % versus 53 percent, P < 0.02). Conclusions. The results of this retro spective study indicate that nuclear DNA content provide important inf ormation concerning the natural history and biology of nonseminomatous germ cell testicular tumor.