[Malignancy of gastric cancer according to DNA ploidy pattern and tumor markers]

Microfluorometric analysis of DNA content was performed on samples from 172 gastrectomy specimens of cancer. Histograms of DNA content were classified into three ploidy patterns; type I, II and III. Also, immunocytochemical examination for tumor markers (CEA, AFP and hCG) was performed. Type I was predominant in intramucosal carcinoma. Type III was predominant in differentiated carcinomas, in elevated type of early carcinomas and in gross type 1 and 2 of advanced carcinomas. Prognostic serosal factor exerted a greater influence on the prognosis than ploidy pattern. But in the patient without prognostic serosal factor, type III had a poorer prognosis than the other types because of vessel invasion, lymph node metastasis and liver metastasis. AFP and hCG were highly positive in type III. Furthermore type III cancer producing more than two tumor markers had an extremely poor prognosis. Analysis of ploidy pattern and tumor markers may prove to be a highly useful adjunct in the evaluation of malignancy in gastric cancer.