Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Male Urethra: Nuclear Deoxyribonucleic Acid Ploidy Studied by Flow Cytometry

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Abstract
Flow cytometry analysis was performed on 30 primary male urethral squamous cell carcinoma specimens. Nuclei were extracted from paraffin-embedded archival material and isolated nuclei were stained with propidium iodide. Bulbomembranous urethral tumor had a higher incidence of abnormal deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy patterns than penile urethral tumors (69 and 29 percent, respectively). Of the tumors exhibiting a deoxyribonucleic acid diploid pattern and an abnormal (deoxyribonucleic acid tetraploid or aneuploid) histogram 18 and 93 percent, respectively, showed tumor progression (p less than 0.001). None (0 percent) of the lowgrade (grade 1 or 2) tumors with a deoxyribonucleic acid diploid pattern developed local recurrence or distant metastases, whereas 90 percent of the low grade tumors with an abnormal deoxyribonucleic acid pattern progressed (p less than 0.002). Patients with tumors exhibiting deoxyribonucleic acid diploid ploidy had 5 and 10-year rates free of disease of 85 percent. In contrast, patients with tumors with abnormal deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy patterns had 5 and 10-year rates of 20 and 0 percent, respectively (p less than 0.001). Determination of deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy pattern by flow cytometry provides important prognostic information for male patients with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the urethra.