Prognostic significance of DNA ploidy in pancreatic carcinoma.

The nuclear DNA content was assessed by image cytometry on cytologic specimens obtained with fine-needle aspiration biopsy in 96 patients with pancreatic duct carcinoma. Twenty-two of these patients had pancreaticoduodenal resection. According to DNA analysis there were 27 (28%) diploid, 17 (18%) tetraploid, and 52 (54%) aneuploid tumors. The corresponding patient median survival times were 8, 5, and 4 months, respectively. Resectable tumors were more often DNA diploid (10 of 22) than nonresectable tumors (17 of 74) (p < 0.05). A Cox multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that surgical resection (p < 0.001) and diploid DNA pattern (p < 0.05) were factors associated with longer patient survival time. Although the difference in survival time was small, the data indicate that DNA diploid tumors represent a less aggressive subset of pancreatic carcinoma.