[Prognostic significance of DNA ploidy pattern on bile duct cancer]

Of 33 patients surgically treated for bile duct cancer, nuclear DNA content of cancer cells was assessed by flow cytometry in order to determine whether DNA ploidy pattern was a prognostic indicator. Thirteen patients (40%) had diploid tumors and 20 patients (60%) had aneuploid tumors including 12 patients with DNA heterogeneity. No significant correlation was found between DNA ploidy pattern and clinicopathological features. Survival of patients with diploid tumor was significantly longer than those with aneuploid tumor (p < 0.01). In aneuploid cases, the prognosis of patients with DNA heterogeneity was similar to those without DNA heterogeneity. In the patients who underwent a curative resection, 5-year survival rate of diploid cases was 100%, as opposed that no patients with aneuploid tumor survived longer than 4 years. These results suggest that DNA ploidy pattern is a important prognostic determinant for bile duct cancer.