Prognostic significance of cell DNA content in early‐stage ovarian cancer (figo stages I and II/A) by means of automatic image cytometry

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Abstract
Paraffin‐embedded material from 69 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer FIGO stages I and II/A (including 21 patients with borderline carcinoma) was studied with automatic DNA image cytometry. Univariate analysis indicated a significant difference in survival based on the presence of nuclei with high DNA content (higher than 5 C). A group of patients with less than 0.2% cells with high DNA content had a 6‐year survival of 87%, whereas in a group of patients with more than 0.2% of such cells, 6‐year survival was 49%. This parameter remained significant when used in a group of stage I/a and I/b patients. Statistical analysis of diploid vs. non‐diploid tumors also showed significant difference in survival. Separate analysis of 48 invasive ovarian cancers indicated that ploidy, the percentage of cells with high DNA content and tumor stage (stage I/a + b vs. stages I/c + II/a) reached significance for survival, whereas grading did not. In addition, comparison of clinical stage, grading, ploidy and the percentage of cells exceeding 5 C with a threshold at 0.2% by means of a murtivariate analysis (Cox regression model) showed that only the percentage of cells exceeding 5 C remained statistically significant.