[Nuclear morphometric and cytophotometric studies of breast cancer. Comparison of the cytophotometric study results with the histological grading].

Material obtained from 58 breast carcinomas was subjected to comparative morphometric and DNA-cytophotometric analysis. The results of DNA analysis were compared with the WHO grading, size of nuclei and size of nucleoli. The large and heterogeneous group of grade II carcinomas could be defined more exactly by means of DNA cytophotometry than it is possible by histological grading. The size both of the nucleus and the nucleoli represent very important cytological hallmarks of proliferation. Carcinomas with big nuclei and prominent nucleoli showed a significantly more marked degree of proliferation than carcinomas without such cytological features.