DNA index and cell cycle analysis of primary breast cancer and synchronous axillary lymph node metastases

The DNA Index (DI) and the percentage of cells in S-phase (S-phase fraction, SPF) were measured by flow cytometry in 80 primary breast carcinomas and in 80 accompanying axillary lymph node metastases. The DI in primary tumors and metastases agreed in 61 cases (76%). Cases with diploid primary tumors revealed more constancy of the DI in comparison to the metastases than the cases with aneuploid primary tumors (91% and 70% respectively). The mean values of the SPF were in close agreement in the primary tumors and in the lymph node metastases (6.1% and 6.0% respectively). Differences between the SPF of the two groups could be detected only by the consideration of case-related data pairs. In 50 cases (62%), the percentage of SPF agreed approximately in primary tumors and in the correspondent metastases. The cases with diploid primary tumors revealed more agreement of the SPF in the primary site and the metastases than did cases with aneuploid primary tumors (78% and 56% respectively). In conclusion, diploid carcinomas and their metastases revealed more constancy of the DI and the percentage of SPF than aneuploid carcinomas. These findings agree well with a better prognosis of diploid mammary carcinomas, as reported in the literature. Comparisons between the DI and the SPF in primary tumors and the corresponding metastases could be a source of valuable information on the biological behaviour and the aggressiveness of mammary carcinomas.