The prognostic value of flow cytometric DNA analysis in colorectal cancer patients

An association between DNA aneuploidy of tumor cells and a poorer clinical outcome of patients has been recognized in various human solid tumors. In this article, the prognostic value of flow cytometric DNA analysis in colorectal cancer patients is briefly overviewed. DNA aneuploidy appeared to correlate with more advanced disease and a poorer survival in colorectal cancer patients, but reported results were not always consistent. DNA ploidy as a marker for predicting the survival of colorectal cancer patients should not therefore be viewed in isolation, but should be evaluated in combination with other conventional prognostic variables. The S-phase cell compartment within a tumor appears to be promising as a marker for predicting the survival of colorectal cancer patients, but there remain technical problems in establishing an accurate estimation of the S-phase cell compartment within a tumor by conventional flow cytometry. The application of a bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-specific monoclonal antibody might be an useful tool for obtaining the accurate flow cytometric estimation of the S-phase cell population within a tumor.