DNA flow cytometry of stomach cancer. Prospective correlation with clinicopathologic findings.

BACKGROUND

DNA ploidy and S-phase fraction measured by DNA flow cytometry were shown to correlate with several clinicopathologic characteristics in several types of tumors.

METHODS

DNA flow cytometry was performed on 329 samples (164 normal mucosa, 165 tumors) obtained from 165 patients (112 men) with stomach cancer, and the findings were correlated with various clinicopathologic characteristics of the patients in a prospective manner.

RESULTS

Seventy-nine of 165 samples (48%) from the tumors gave an aneuploid histogram. None of 164 samples from the normal mucosa showed aneuploidy. There was no significant difference in the frequency of DNA aneuploidy in terms of age, sex, symptom duration, bleeding history, gastric outlet obstruction, weight loss, performance status, serum hemoglobin level, albumin level, creatinine level, tumor size, tumor location in the stomach, and TNM stage. Moderately well differentiated tumors had a significantly higher frequency of aneuploidy compared to well differentiated or undifferentiated tumors. S-phase fraction was obtained in 162 of 164 samples from the normal mucosa, and 123 of 165 samples from the tumors. The overall mean of the S-phase fraction was 4.01% (range, 0.5-23.6%) for the normal mucosa and 13.8% (range, 0-51.9%) for the tumors. Higher S-phase fraction of tumors was correlated with history of weight loss, poorer performance status, and histologically less differentiated tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall frequency of aneuploidy was 48% in stomach cancer. DNA aneuploidy showed significant correlation with histologic differentiation of tumors. S-phase fraction of the tumors showed significant correlation with history of weight loss, performance status of the patients, and histologic differentiation of tumors.