Ploidy and proliferation rates in carcinomas of the breast in Tanzania.

Routinely collected, processed and stored breast cancer tissue blocks recovered from the archives of the Pathology laboratory in Dar es Salaam after storage of up to 3 years were analysed by a flow cytometry for DNA ploidy and S-phase fraction. Results showed that archival material stored in humid tropical conditions may be used for flow cytometric analysis. The mean age of the patients was rather low and aneuploidy was much rarer when compared to studies from Western countries, but the figures on S-phase fraction were comparable. The predominant histological type was infiltrating ductal carcinoma. These results seem to indicate that there may be some differences in the biology of breast cancer between Tanzania and other countries. Studies to confirm these preliminary findings are desirable.