Prognostic significance of DNA ploidy in male breast carcinoma. A retrospective analysis of 32 cases.

Abstract

DNA aneuploidy has been prognostically significant in female breast carcinoma of low stage, but its value in male breast carcinoma remains undetermined. Flow cytometric DNA analyses were performed retrospectively on paraffin-embedded tissue from 32 men with breast carcinoma (mean follow-up time, 5.97 years [standard deviation +/- 4.63]; range, 1 to 18 years). Multivariate discriminant function analysis showed only tumor size less than 2 cm to be independently predictive of better disease-free survival (P less than 0.05). DNA ploidy (aneuploid, 25 patients; diploid, 7 patients) and lymph node status (positive, 22 patients; negative, 10 patients) were not predictive of survival, regardless of tumor size. The authors concluded that DNA ploidy may not significantly predict survival in male breast carcinoma.