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S-phase fraction identifies high-risk subgroups among DNA-diploid breast cancers

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Summary

The prognostic value of DNA content measured by means of flow cytometry was analyzed in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples from 231 breast cancer patients treated between 1984 and 1988, with a mean follow-up period of 55 months. We followed the guidelines of a Consensus Meeting held on this issue in Maine, USA, in 1992. DNA-diploid and -aneuploid tumors were evaluated separately for the fraction of cells in S-phase (SPF) contained in them, this being divided into three groups (‘high’, ‘intermediate’, and ‘low’), defined by the 25th and 75th centile of the SPF-distribution corresponding to either DNA-diploid or DNA-aneuploid tumors.

Unequivocally readable histograms were obtained from 174 samples (75.3%).

A high SPF in diploid tumors was significantly associated with a higher recurrence rate (p = 0.015), a shorter disease-free survival (p = 0.014), advanced (IIIB) clinical stage (p = 0.034), and almost significantly with total survival (p = 0.055).

In a multivariate Cox regression analysis, a high SPF in diploid tumors retained its independent prognostic power, being significantly associated with a shorter disease-free survival (p = 0.00049) and total survival (p = 0.0077). It also allowed to identify a subgroup with an ominous prognosis among patients ≤ 50 years of age with early stage tumors.

Our results fully validate the recommendations of the 1992 Maine Consensus Meeting.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital de Cruces, Universidad del País Vasco, 48903, Baracaldo (Bilbao), Spain

    H. Romero (Visiting Research Fellow), J. Schneider & F. J. Rodriguez-Escudero

  2. Department of Surgery, Universidad del Cauca, Popayan, Colombia

    H. Romero (Visiting Research Fellow)

  3. Department of Pathology, Hospital de Cruces, Universidad del País Vasco, Bilbao, Spain

    J. Burgos

  4. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Universidad del País Vasco, Bilbao, Spain

    J. Bilbao

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  1. H. Romero
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  4. J. Bilbao
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Romero, H., Schneider, J., Burgos, J. et al. S-phase fraction identifies high-risk subgroups among DNA-diploid breast cancers. Breast Cancer Res Tr 38, 265–275 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01806145

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