DNA ploidy and prostate-specific antigen as prognostic factors in clinically resectable prostate cancer

Article Abstract:

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men, and 122,000 new cases are likely to be diagnosed this year. Nevertheless, little is known about the factors that influence both the progression of the disease and the outcome of individual cases. A study was undertaken to determine which factors might significantly influence the outcome of operable prostate cancer, that is, prostate cancer that has not yet become too extensive. Factors included such items as the age and race of the patient as well as the stage of the cancer. These traditional factors were compared to newer, potentially important prognostic indicators: the amount of prostate-specific antigen, the amount of prostatic acid phosphatase, and the DNA ploidy of the tumor were measured. (DNA ploidy is the determination of DNA content in individual cancer cells, usually determined automatically in a device called a flow cytometer.) A total of 112 prostate cancer specimens were evaluated. Both the DNA ploidy and the amount of prostate-specific antigen were found to be significantly correlated with the stage of the cancer, as determined by microscopic examination. These new factors were also correlated with the Gleason score, which is a composite score that includes several patient factors and provides a rough indication of the stage of the disease for purposes of prognosis and comparison. The advantage provided by DNA ploidy measurements and prostate-specific antigen is that these tests are objective and quantitative (measured), in contrast with the traditional scoring methods which are more subjective. One interesting sidelight to the study was the observation that black men with prostate cancer have higher levels of prostate-specific antigen and a greater frequency of cancers with abnormal amounts of DNA. American black men have the highest rate of prostate cancer of any racial group in the world. The likelihood of prostate cancer among American blacks is roughly twice that found in white men. However, the rate of survival for black men is comparable to that of white men. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Demographic aspects, DNA, Prostate cancer, Tumor antigens

---

Prognostic significance of the DNA content of renal carcinoma

Article Abstract:

Previous reports have suggested that the DNA content of kidney tumor cells is a useful prognostic indicator. Tumors with DNA reflecting a normal chromosome content, i.e diploid, have a significantly better prognosis than those with a abnormal, aneuploid, chromosome complement. To further examine the value of DNA content for prognosis, three subgroups of renal cancer patients were examined: those without metastatic spread, those with metastases who survived more than two years, and those with metastases who survived less than two years. Cell suspensions were made from frozen tissue sections and incubated with propidium iodide, a fluorescent stain for DNA. The cells were then analyzed in a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. The histological grading for purposes of comparison was carried out without knowledge of the patient's outcome. As with the previous studies, a significantly better outcome was experienced by patients with a diploid DNA pattern. Of the patients with metastatic disease, seven of eight patients who had survived more than one year had diploid patterns; two of those have subsequently died at 25 and 38 months. Interestingly, the single aneuploid patient remains alive after 30 months. Of the eleven patients who died in less than two years, ten had an aneuploid DNA pattern. Of the 13 patients without metastases, eleven had diploid DNA and two had aneuploid. None of these patients have died of cancer-related causes. The prognostic value of ploidy suggests that a prospective study should now be undertaken. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Kidney cancer

---

Ploidy, proliferative activity and prognosis: DNA flow cytometry of solid tumors

Article Abstract:

Flow cytometry has the advantage of being able to quantitatively examine the fluorescent staining of thousands of cells within a few seconds. Although the technique is often used to determine the quantity of DNA in a cell by using fluorescent staining specific for DNA, it can in principle be used for anything for which an appropriate fluorescent stain exists. Although the technique was developed for blood cells, which are free-floating, it can be used on solid specimens if they are enzymatically broken up to release free-floating cells or nuclei. When used for DNA measurement, flow cytometry reveals both cell proliferation and chromosome complement (ploidy) in a single measurement. Numerous studies have applied this technique to devising better prognostic indicators for cancer. In general, either an abnormal chromosome complement (aneuploidy) or abnormally high cell proliferation is a poor prognostic indicator for most cancers. Both aneuploidy and increased proliferation are indicators of poor outcome in breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and colorectal cancer. Aneuploidy itself is an indicator of poor outcome in cancers of the kidney, bladder, prostate, and endometrium. Although most studies using flow cytometry in the evaluation of cancers have been retrospective using archival material, the technique may prove to be useful in the prognosis of cancer and the identification of patients who are candidates for more aggressive treatment. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Cell cycle

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Adjuvant systemic therapy. Progress in the treatment of early breast cancer. The breast biopsy
• Abstracts: Quality of life assessment: an independent prognostic variable for survival in lung cancer. Long-term effects of testicular cancer on sexual functioning in married couples
• Abstracts: Occupational and environmental medicine: meeting the growing need for clinical services. Occupational medicine
• Abstracts: Raynaud's phenomenon and positive antinuclear antibodies in a malignancy. Antinuclear antibodies in patients with scleroderma (systemic sclerosis) and in their blood relatives and spouses
• Abstracts: Assessment of current International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging of vulvar carcinoma relative to prognostic factors for survival (a Gynecologic Oncology Group study)

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.