Prognostic value of DNA analysis in colorectal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Reported experiences regarding the prognostic significance of DNA content in colorectal carcinoma have been a matter of controversy. METHODS DNA analysis with image cytometry was performed in 137 patients with colorectal cancer. Only patients who had resection without tumor residual and who did not die postoperatively as a consequence of the operation were entered in the study. At the time of DNA analysis, neither the histomorphologic data nor the relapse-free survival time of the patients were known. RESULTS In this investigation the DNA content of tumor cells had no univariate or multivariate influence on the relapse-free survival time. The prognosis was dependent on the tumor …