The nuclear DNA contents was analyzed using flow cytometry from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens for 36 carcinomas of the pancreas, of which 30 specimens obtained from pancreatic resection and 6 specimen from biopsy. Thirty -six
percent(n=13)
had an aneuploid DNA pattern, and 64%(n=23) were diploid. Aneuploid tumors were associated with poor histological differentation(p<0.02), high S-phase fraction and proliferative index(S+G2/M fraction)(p=0.0001), and tended to be more frequent in
the
body and/or tail than in the head(p<0.03). The type os surgery(resection or palliative surgery), tumor growth status, status of regional lymph node metastases, and the proliferative index had been found to correlate with prognosis in an
univariate
analysis(p<0.03).A multivariate analysis using log-lineal regression model demostrated that the pattern of nuclear DNA ploidy was an independent prognostic factor as strong as or stronger than the type of surgery. The survival tie of diploid
tumor
was
approximately two times longer than that of aneuploid tumor(p<0.05). The mean(+SE) survival times of the patients with resected aneuploid tumor and unresected diploid tumor were 16.9±3.9 and 14.9±4.2 months, respectively. And this difference in
survival was net statistically significant. Therefore, it may be concluded that DNA ploidy pattern appears to be one of the most important predictors survival patietns with corcinoma of the pancreas and diploid carcinomas are associated with a
longer
survival than aneuploid than aneuploid ones.
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