Quantitative nuclear DNA analysis of human ovarian adenocarcinoma: compared before and after chemotherapy and correlated with clinical response.

Quantitative DNA measurements on 18 human ovarian adenocarcinomas were made by computerized image analysis. The DNA content of the tumor cells was measured on specimens of tumor obtained at the initial diagnostic surgery and at second-look surgery after treatment with chemotherapy. The mean DNA content of the specimens and the ploidy pattern of the tumor cells were determined. With the exception that borderline tumors had near normal ploidy patterns and mean DNA content, there was no consistent correlation between the stage of disease, grade, or histiologic character of the tumor and either the DNA content or ploidy pattern. But it was noteworthy that all three of the patients who had complete responses (negative second-looks), also had tumors with DNA content and ploidy patterns near triploid. When the ratio of mean DNA content before and after chemotherapy was determined for each ploidy group, there was an apparent correlation between this ratio and clinical status of the patient 10 month after chemotherapy. That is, patients with low ploidy tumors and high DNA content ratio (greater than 1.25) had a better prognosis than patients with high ploidy tumors and lower DNA content ratios (less than 1.25). Thus, although the mean DNA content of the tumor at the initial surgery was not in itself of sufficient prognostic value, when the mean DNA content of the tumor after chemotherapy is also known, an accurate picture of the patients clinical response could be determined.