DNA CYTOMETRY IN BREAST-CANCER - REVIEW O F METHODS AND ITS ROLE IN PROGNOSTIC EVALUATION

DNA flow cytometry (FCM) has become a routine method in breast cancer diagnosis for evaluation of ploidy and proliferation kinetics (cell cy cle analysis). Image cytometry is less practicable and provides less i nformation than flow cytometry. An optimized technique with a low coef ficient of variation is required for optimal results in flow cytometry . The S-phase fraction and the proliferation index (sum of S-phase fra ction and G(2)M fraction) provide prognostic and therapeutically relev ant information. A profound knowledge of the technique and its limitat ions is indispensable for the interpretation of FCM results. It remain s to be established whether immunohistological evaluation of cell prol iferation has the same prognostic value. Future developments are to be expected from multipara metric analysis and the improvement of mathem atical analysis of FCM measurements.