DNA ploidy patterns in advanced gastric carcinoma; is it a clinically applicable prognosticator?

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of ploidy patterns as determined by flow cytometry in terms of clinical usefulness. METHODOLOGY: 270 patients with a diagnosis of advanced gastric carcinoma were studied with fresh specimens obtained from multiple site avoiding nonviable or nonneoplastic tissues by DNA flow cytometry. DNA ploidy and clinicopathologic factors were compared and survival was analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 56.1 +/- 11.6 years (25-80 years). There were 195 males and 75 females. Aneuploidy was shown in 93 (35.9%) patients. Male sex and differentiated tumor were more frequent in aneuploidy than diploidy (P = 0.011, < 0.001, respectively). By univariate analysis, tumor location, size, extent of resection, curative resection, serosa invasion, lymph node involvement, and distant metastasis significantly affected survival but not aneuploidy. Significant independent prognostic factors by multivariate analysis were curative resection, serosa invasion and lymph node involvement (P = 0.0001, 0.0114, 0.0262, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: DNA ploidy patterns of advanced gastric carcinoma are of limited clinical significance, therefore not a clinically applicable prognosticator.