DNA analysis of periampullary cancers.

The nuclear DNA content in 71 cases of periampullary cancer (27, cancer of the head of the pancreas (Ph); 24, cancer of the ampulla of Vater (A); and 20, cancer of the inferior common bile duct (Bi] was measured cytofluorometrically using the archival paraffin-embedded specimens of the primary lesions. They were analyzed in relation to prognosis, tumor size, histological differentiation, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, perineural invasion, and growth pattern. The results show that "Ph" has more unfavorable prognosis compared with the other two and it has more DNA content under the same conditions such as tumor from 2.1 to 4 cm in its greatest dimension, well differentiated adenocarcinoma, with or without lymph node metastasis, with or without venous invasion, with lymphatic invasion, with perineural invasion, and in the intermediate growth pattern between expansive and infiltrative. In conclusion, this study demonstrates a close correlation between the DNA content and prognosis and the significant clinical value of DNA analysis for predicting the prognosis in patients of periampullary cancer.