DNA content in cervical neoplasia and its relationship to prognosis.

Aneuploidy is commonly associated with malignancy and certain premalignant conditions. Recent studies have demonstrated an association between prognosis and the presence of aneuploidy. In this study, flow cytometry was used to determine the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content of tissues with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or invasive cervical carcinoma. Of 41 evaluable patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, aneuploidy was demonstrated in the specimens of three of ten patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia II and six of 13 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III. No specimens with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia I, with condylomata, or without pathologic diagnosis contained aneuploid populations. Of the 22 evaluable specimens with invasive cervical carcinoma, 13 contained aneuploid populations. In stage I cervical lesions, aneuploidy appeared to be a poor prognostic factor with an overall survival of two of five patients with aneuploid tumors versus five of five patients with diploid tumors.