Value of Quantitative DNA Analysis in Endocrine Tumors of the Pancreas

The diagnosis of malignancy can be difficult in endocrine tumors of the pancreas. Moreover prognostically relevant factors are not available. The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively whether the DNA distribution pattern can differentiate between benign and malignant pancreatic endocrine tumors and secondly whether the DNA content of tumor cells gives prognostic information.Image cytometry of paraffin-embedded tumor material of 42 pancreatic endocrine tumors.In 27 benign endocrine pancreatic tumors (25 insulinomas, 2 benign nonfunctioning endocrine tumors) we could differentiate between 6 diploid, 15 hypotriploid and 6 triploid DNA histograms. In 15 malignant endocrine tumors of…