[DNA analysis of breast cancer]

Several methods for DNA analysis including DNA histogram and proto-oncogene amplification in human breast cancer, and the results recently reported were reviewed. A large number of DNA histograms obtained by flow cytometry have provided a possible correlation between DNA ploidy pattern and clinical outcome of breast cancer patients. Poor clinicopathologic factors, however, are not always in association with DNA aneuploidy and/or S-phase fraction rate, suggesting that further investigations on DNA ploidy are required. Amplification and/or over expression of proto-oncogenes in human breast cancers have been reported. Among them c-erbB-2 amplification may be one of the candidates for prognostic indicators of breast cancer survival. To determine any reliable biological factors exist further analysis of tumor DNA will be required in breast cancer research.