Prognostic significance of cell cycle parameters in infiltrative ductal breast carcinoma

Flow-cytometric DNA analysis was performed retrospectively from paraffin-embedded blocks in 158 consecutive ductal infiltrative breast carcinoma patients grades I-III. Normal breast tissue was used as control. Tumor proliferative activity, cell ploidy, and DNA index (DI) were related to age of patients, histological grade of tumor, tumor size, axillary lymph node status, estrogen and progesterone receptor status, menopausal status,TNM clinical classification, and survival. There was a significant association between DNA aneuploidy and a high cellular proliferative activity, increased DI, poor differentiation of tumor, primary tumor size, number of positive lymph nodes, and postmenopausal state. Increased proportion of cells in S-phase was associated with positive lymph node status and higher number of positive lymph nodes. The cell cycle parameters had no prognostic value either for overall survival of disease-free survival of the patients.