A STRONG PROGNOSTIC VARIABLE IN ENDOMETRIAL CARCINOMA - FLOW CYTOMETRIC S-PHASE FRACTION

BACKGROUND. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of flo w cytometric S-phase fraction as a prognostic factor in patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma. METHODS. The study included 80 patients wi th endometrial adenocarcinoma of endometrioid type who were followed r egularly between 1984-1995 in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecol ogy at Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine in Istanbul, Turkey. The method employed for the now cytometric analysis was modified from Hedley et a l. RESULTS. The S-phase fraction was identified as the most significan t variable associated with death from endometrial carcinoma of endomet rioid type by the Cox proportional hazards model. The risk of death wa s significantly higher in patients with S-phase values greater than 20 %. Aneuploidy and DNA indexes were also significant prognostic variabl es. CONCLUSIONS. The S-phase fraction is considered to he a significan t prognostic variable in identifying those patients with endometrial c arcinoma who have a poor prognosis. The authors believe that S-phase f raction distinguishes those patients who may benefit from additional t reatment approaches. (C) 1997 American Cancer Society.