Flow cytometric analysis of bone marrow in a patient with resistant neuroblastoma

Using flow cytometric analysis, we followed changes in a patient's bone marrow which was infiltrated with cells resistant to chemotherapy. Samples taken prior to, during, and after treatment with dianhydrogalactitol (2 days), cytosine arabinoside and hydroxyurea (2 days), and Adriamycin (2 days) contained an aneuploid population of cells which exhibited changes in ploidy, viability, and distribution in cell cycle compartment. The restricted changes in cell ploidy and viability of tumor cells encountered as well as limited increases in S phase on day 4 and G2 phase on day 6 with a rebound on day 9 of G1 phase cells suggest the tumor to be sensitive to dianhydrogalactitol but not to the other agents used.