S-phase rate as a predictor of early recurrences in carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Flow cytometric measurements of ploidy level and S-phase rate were performed in a prospective study of 165 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Patients were followed-up for 24 months after initial treatment. There was no significant difference in recurrence rate between patients with peri-diploid tumors (1.8c-2.2c) and aneuploid tumors. The S-phase rate (evaluable in 133 cases), which previously has been studied only occasionally in cervical carcinomas, was correlated with early relapses. Significantly more relapses were found in tumors with S-phase rates greater than or equal to 20% than among tumors with S-phase rates less than 20% (chi 2 = 9.54, p less than 0.01). A higher relapse rate among tumors with S-phase rates greater than or equal to 20% was found even after taking staging into consideration (Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test, p less than 0.01). Thus, besides staging, evaluation of the S-phase rate yielded additional prognostic information.