Flow cytometry of breast carcinoma: I. Relation of DNA ploidy level to histology and estrogen receptor.

Flow cytometry studies of the DNA distribution of tumor cells from 92 human breast cancers showed measurable aneuploidy (hyperploidy) in 83 cases (92%). The DNA ploidy values were unimodal in each case, but there was a bimodal distribution for the entire series. One group of tumors had a diploid or near diploid DNA distribution and a second group had ploidy levels from triploid to tetraploid or higher. The tumors with lower DNA ploidy (at or near diploid) tended to be histologically low grade, cytologically more orderly and estrogen-binding positive; those with higher DNA ploidy were more likely to be higher grade, more anaplastic, and estrogen-binding negative.