DNA content of prostatic cancer measured by flow cytometry in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy

The biological behavior of prostatic cancer is influenced by many host and tumor factors. The proliferative activity of the malignancies can be one of those parameters which serve as the basis to estimate prognosis and design treatment. Here, DNA content and S-phase fraction of prostatic cancer samples obtained by radical prostatectomy from 46 patients were related to other known tumor characteristics (PSA, staging, grading). Nuclei from the paraffin embedded materials were isolated with overnight trypsin-ribonuclease mixture digestion. DNA content and cell cycle distribution were determined by flow cytometry. A correlation was found between the PSA concentration, grading and staging on the one hand and S-phase fraction on the other. DNA content correlated with grading. No kinetic parameter correlated with the nodal involvement. Due to the association between abnormal DNA content plus SPF > 5% with advanced stage and less differentiated appearance of the tumor, we can conclude that these parameters are useful to estimate prognosis.