NUCLEOLAR ORGANIZER REGIONS RELATED TO MORPHOMETRY, FLOW-CYTOMETRY, SEX STEROID-RECEPTOR CONTENT, TUMOR HISTOLOGY AND PROGNOSIS IN FEMALE BREAST-CANCER

Nuclear organizer regions (Ag-NORs) were visualized and enumerated in biopsy specimens from 158 breast carcinomas and the results were corre lated with clinical, histological, quantitative prognostic factors and survival. The number of Ag-NORs was related significantly to histolog ical type (p = 0.003), tubule formation (p = 0.013), histological grad e (p < 0.001), mean nuclear area (p < 0.001), SD of nuclear area (p < 0.001), DNA ploidy (p < 0.001), S phase fraction (p = 0.001), mitotic index (p < 0.001), estrogen receptor content (p < 0.001) and progester one receptor content (p < 0.001). Ag-NORs were independent of tumour s ize and axillary lymph node status. Neither in the entire cohort (p = 0.16) nor in axillary lymph node negative tumours (p = 0.11) was the n umber of Ag-NORs related to survival although a clear trend was observ ed between lowered survival probability and high Ag-NOR count. In mult ivariate analysis Ag-NORs had no independent prognostic value. The res ults confirm previous results in that Ag-NORs have no practical progno stic value over already established prognostic factors in breast cance r.