[Impulse cytophotometry and catamnesis in breast neoplasms]

CEll suspensions from 62 cancers of breast were investigated by flow cytophotometry after staining with pepsin-Ethidium bromide. In all patients a radical operation was made, followed by radiotherapy. The surviving patients were observed for 5 years. From the DNA-histograms 48% of the tumours were classified as diploid (or peridiploid), 40% as polyploid and 11% as aneuploid. Concerning ploidy a rank with worsening prognosis was found from diploid over polyploid to aneuploid cancers. In this sense bad prognosis means: dead or relapse during 5 years, histologically undifferentiated tumours, great primary tumour, metastasis in lymph nodes. In diploid tumours bad prognosis is indicated by a higher part of S- and G2-phase nuclei in the flow histograms. Most of the findings, but not all, are proved statistically. Now as ever, histological differentiation is still the most easily statement for prognosis.