Flow cytometric DNA analysis of neuroblastoma: correlation with prognostic variables and survival of patients.

The DNA ploidy of tumor tissues obtained from 41 patients with neuroblastoma, or ganglioneuroblastoma, which is the histologic variant of neuroblastoma, was determined by flow cytometry. The DNA ploidy was diploid in 7 tumors (5 neuroblastomas and 2 ganglioneuroblastomas) and aneuploid in 34 tumors (20 neuroblastomas and 14 ganglioneuroblastomas). The DNA ploidy of tumor cells did not correlate with the survival of patients and there was no correlation between the DNA ploidy of tumor cells and such prognostic variables, histology, primary site, staging of tumors and operative curability.