PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF DNA PLOIDY AND NUCLEAR MORPHOMETRY IN PROSTATE CANCER TREATED WITH ANDROGEN DEPRIVATION

Objectives. To assess the prognostic value of flow cytometry and nuclear morphometry in prostate cancer after androgen deprivation treatment. Methods. A total of 127 patients with a prostate cancer diagnosis who had undergone androgen suppres-sion were retrospectively studied. The DNA content by flow cytometry and nuclear morphometry was studied from biopsy specimens. In the patients with Stage M0, two multivariate analyses by the Cox proportional regression model were performed to determine whether the experimental variables (DNA content and nuclear area) added independent information to the classic prognostic factors (Gleason score and stage). Using the statistical analysis results, risk groups were created. Results. T and M categories, Gleason score, DNA ploidy, and mean nuclear area proved to have prognostic value in the univariate analysis. For the group of patients free of metastasis (M0), it was possible to create low, intermediate, and high-risk groups using stage and Gleason score with statistically significant differ-ences in survival. Multivariate analysis, combining the classic and experimental variables, selected Gleason score and DNA content as prognostic independent factors. Also, risk groups with statistically significant differences in survival were created. However, the net result of combining both kinds of factors was at leas