FLOW CYTOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF CELL-CYCLE PH ASES IN GASTRIC AND GALL-BLADDER CANCER

The characteristics of the different phases of cell cycle were analyze d in paraffin embedded samples of gall bladder cancer (n = 96) and gas tric cancer (n = 40). Computational programs that included Dean, Kosug i and manual methods were used. No differences in variation coefficien ts were observed between tumors with normal or aneuploid ADN content, with any of the employed methods. Histograms with variation coefficien ts over 10% were not considered. No differences were observed between the two forms of analysis of Kosugi's method; however there were diffe rences between the manual method and Kosugi's and Dean's methods. The percentage of cells in G0/G1 phase varied between 74.1 and 81.5% accor ding to the employed method. The obtained percentages with Kosugi's me thod with normal distribution were significantly lower in all the stud ied groups. These percentages fluctuated between 79.7 and 94.4% in tum ors with normal ADN content and between 60.3 and 80.4% in tumors with abnormal ADN content. The proportion of cells in phase G2/M was lower and in phase S lower and more homogeneous among diploid compared to an euploid tumors. These differences were observed only in primary tumors and not in metastases.