Chemosensitivity and DNA content as prognostic factors in ovarian cancer: preliminary results

Fourteen samples of epithelial ovarian cancer were studied; chemosensitivity in vitro was examined by clonogenic assay, and DNA content was measured by static cytometry. Seven cases were aneuploid. The average survival of the diploid cases was almost twice that of the aneuploid cases (21 vs 11 months). Five of the 7 diploid, and 4 of the aneuploid cases were chemosensitive in vitro; 4 diploid and 3 aneuploid tumors were sensitive in vivo. The vitro/vivo correlation was positive for 6 out of 7 aneuploid tumors, and for 4 out of 7 diploid cases. Patients sensitive in vitro to at least one of the two drugs tested responded more often to chemotherapy, whatever drugs were used in vitro. The patients whose 5 C exceeding rate was 10% survived 12 months at most, with an average survival of 8 months; patients with a low aneuploidy index survived an average of 20 months. The behavior of the diploid tumors in vitro was more varied. Ploidy would seem to be an additional factor to other parameters of prognosis, while no correlation is evident between chemosensitivity in vitro, D.I., and 5 C exceeding rate.