The relation between DNA content and clinicopathologic parameters as well as the influence on the prognosis in gastric cancer is controversial. Flow cytometric studies were performed prospectively in 64 patients with operable gastric cancer and analyzed for association with site, histology, age, sex, stage and disease free survival. The total rate of DNA-aneuploidy was 34%. DNA-aneuploidy was found in 47.8% of well or moderately differentiated carcinoma and in 26.8% of poorly differentiated carcinoma. DNA aneuploidy significantly correlated with the depth of tumor invasion (p<0.05). The one-year disease-free survival rate for patients with respectable advanced gastric cancer was 75.8%, and was 71.4% for aneuploid tumor and 89.5% for diploid tumor respectively. However, this was not statistically significant. These results indicate a close correlation between DNA ploidy and tumor invasion. DNA-aneuploid tumors seem to be associated with a worse prognosis when compared to DNA-diploid tumors in respectable advanced gastric cancer, especially in intestinal type gastric cancer. Further analysis and follow up is indicated to study the clinical implication of DNA ploidy in gastric cancer patients.
The relation between DNA content and clinicopathologic parameters as well as the influence on the prognosis in gastric cancer is controversial. Flow cytometric studies were performed prospectively in 64 patients with operable gastric cancer and analyzed for association with site, histology, age, sex, stage and disease free survival. The total rate of DNA-aneuploidy was 34%. DNA-aneuploidy was found in 47.8% of well or moderately differentiated carcinoma and in 26.8% of poorly differentiated carcinoma. DNA aneuploidy significantly correlated with the depth of tumor invasion (p<0.05). The one-year disease-free survival rate for patients with respectable advanced gastric cancer was 75.8%, and was 71.4% for aneuploid tumor and 89.5% for diploid tumor respectively. However, this was not statistically significant. These results indicate a close correlation between DNA ploidy and tumor invasion. DNA-aneuploid tumors seem to be associated with a worse prognosis when compared to DNA-diploid tumors in respectable advanced gastric cancer, especially in intestinal type gastric cancer. Further analysis and follow up is indicated to study the clinical implication of DNA ploidy in gastric cancer patients.