[Study of nucleolar organizer regions in chromosomes of bladder cancer]

The data on tumor at presentation and 5-year follow-up after surgery for urinary bladder cancer were assessed retrospectively in 62 patients, with particular emphasis on nucleolar distribution revealed by silver staining. A close relationship was found between mean values and even distribution of argentaffine granules and nucleoli in tumor cells, on the one hand, and morphological features of carcinoma and clinical course, on the other. Also, correlations were established between distribution of nucleoli, nucleolar organizer regions and histological pattern (p=0.001), stage (p=0.013), grade (p=0.001), multiplicity (p=0.001), size (p<0.001), localization (p=0.005), frequency (p=0.014), period (p<0.001) and 5-year relapse-free survival (p=0.021). Grade and stage of disease appeared to be pivotal to tumor progression. Favorable course was reported when mean values of number of nucleoli and standard error of argentaffine granule distribution in tumor cells were less than 1.65 and 4.4. respectively. Relapse-free time was the shortest when coefficient of variation of distribution of argentaffine granules and nucleoli in tumor cells exceeded 42%.