DNA content evaluation for epithelial ovarian cancer identification

Objective: To assess the cellular DNA status of epithelial ovarian cancer cells for clinical stage identification and its effect on survival. Methods: Sixty-two patients treated by primary surgery and six courses of platinum-based chemotherapy were enrolled. The surgical stage was analyzed in correlation with DNA ploidy, S-phase fraction and DNA index. DNA analysis was performed via image cytometry. Results: From the 62 cases, 38 were International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie et d'Obstétrique, FIGO) stage I and II, 24 - stage III and IV. In the DNA histograms obtained, the DNA index ranged from 0.85 to 3.02. Sixteen were classified as diploid and 46 as aneuploid (18 multiploid). S-phase fraction ranged from 9.8 to 51%. The aneuploid cells with DNA content above 5C ranged from 0.0 to 77.2%. Patients diagnosed with FIGO III and IV (vs. I and II) were 3.3 times more likely to die. Only in FIGO stage I and II the survival differed significantly for the different groups of ploidy. The risk of death for the multiploid (vs. diploid) group is 6.4 times and for aneuploid (vs. diploid) 2.3 times. Overall survival was better in the group with low DNA index. The low percentage compared with a high percentage of 5C cells ploidy groups showed association with mortality. The death hazard for the S-phase >33 median group is 4.9 times the hazard in relation to the S-phase <33. Conclusions: DNA ploidy, DNA index, S-phase, and 5C cells are important prognosticators for epithelial ovarian cancer mainly in early stages.