FLOW CYTOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF NUCLEAR-DNA HETEROGENEITY IN GASTRIC-CANCER

Flow cytometric analysis of nuclear DNA ploidy was performed to evalua te the clinical significance of DNA-ploidy heterogeneity and DNA-index heterogeneity between the superficial layer and the deep layer of the tumor obtained from 88 advanced gastric cancer patients, DNA-ploidy h eterogeneity was observed in 28 patients (31.8%) and characterized mai nly by diploidy in the superficial layer and aneuploidy in the deep la yer, More than 10% difference in the DNA index among aneuploidy (DNA-i ndex heterogeneity) was observed in 10 (26.3%) of 38 patients with ane uploidy. There was no tendency for the DNA index to increase with deep infiltration. DNA-ploidy and DNA-index heterogeneities were not corre lated with the various clinicopathological characteristics. Patients w ith aneuploidy had significantly poorer prognosis than did those with diploidy. The survival rate for patients with DNA heterogeneity was no t significantly different from that for patients without DNA heterogen eity. These results suggest that the DNA-ploidy pattern may be an impo rtant prognostic factor, but that DNA heterogeneity may not have an im pact on the survival in advanced gastric cancer.