Histological grade, elastosis, DNA ploidy and the response to chemotherapy of breast cancer

The relationships between response to chemotherapy of advanced breast cancer and the histological type, grade, elastosis content and DNA ploidy of the primary tumours were examined using paraffin-embedded tissue derived from 125 patients. Higher response rates were seen amongst tumours with a high elastosis content and those that were diploid. However, selection of patients with advanced breast cancer for chemotherapy will not be assisted significantly by an assessment of these features in the primary tumour.