GASTRIC-CANCER AND FLOW-CYTOMETRY - THE BEGINNING OF A PROMISING MATCH

Gastric cancer (GC) is still a diffuse and aggressive disease in many countries where its frequency has not drastically decreased as in the USA. Furthermore, except in Japan and few other countries where the he alth care system has implemented effective strategies to diagnose the disease very early, GC therapy is unsatisfactory because of the advanc ed stage at which it is disclosed. Recent advances in the understandin g of GC, resulting from identification of Helicobacter pylori as a cri tical factor in its development seem not to have changed the situation . Studies on GC have often adopted flow-cytometry to investigate many parameters mostly related to prognosis. Unfortunately the results obta ined with this important technique have been disappointing and diverse , which has caused a fair amount of skepticism as to its role. Startin g from a critical review of the vast Literature on the topic, this pap er discusses a re-evaluation of the role of flow cytometry in the figh t against GC.