Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Cancer logoLink to British Journal of Cancer
. 1993 Jul;68(1):151–155. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1993.304

Nuclear DNA content and morphological characteristics in the prognosis of adrenocortical carcinoma.

H R Haak 1, C J Cornelisse 1, J Hermans 1, L Cobben 1, G J Fleuren 1
PMCID: PMC1968309  PMID: 8318407

Abstract

Prognostic factors are needed for the management of patients with adrenocortical tumours. For this reason, the nuclear DNA content of patients with adrenocortical tumours was analysed by flow cytometry. The relationships between nuclear DNA content, histological indices, and clinical parameters were studied. DNA ploidy could be evaluated in 54 carcinoma and 31 adenoma patients. Twenty-one (68%) of the adenomas, and 6 (11%) of the carcinomas, were DNA diploid. Hypo/Hyperdiploidy was found in 5 (16%) of the adenomas, and 15 (28%) of the carcinomas. The remaining patients had a DNA index above 1.40. A shorter survival was found in patients with diploid carcinomas (P < 0.05). A longer disease-free survival was seen in patients with hypo/hyperdiploid carcinomas (P < 0.05). Nuclear DNA content was not related to the histological index, nor to clinical parameters. We conclude that nuclear DNA content is related to (disease-free) survival of patients with adrenocortical carcinomas. An adenoma-carcinoma sequence may be present in the adrenal cortex. In adrenocortical tumours ploidy evolution appears to be different than that observed in other solid tumours.

Full text

PDF
153

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abramowsky C. R., Taylor S. R., Anton A. H., Berk A. I., Roederer M., Murphy R. F. Flow cytometry DNA ploidy analysis and catecholamine secretion profiles in neuroblastoma. Cancer. 1989 May 1;63(9):1752–1756. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19900501)63:9<1752::aid-cncr2820630916>3.0.co;2-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Beerman H., Kluin P. M., Hermans J., van de Velde C. J., Cornelisse C. J. Prognostic significance of DNA-ploidy in a series of 690 primary breast cancer patients. Int J Cancer. 1990 Jan 15;45(1):34–39. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910450108. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cornelisse C. J., van de Velde C. J., Caspers R. J., Moolenaar A. J., Hermans J. DNA ploidy and survival in breast cancer patients. Cytometry. 1987 Mar;8(2):225–234. doi: 10.1002/cyto.990080217. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gansler T., Chatten J., Varello M., Bunin G. R., Atkinson B. Flow cytometric DNA analysis of neuroblastoma. Correlation with histology and clinical outcome. Cancer. 1986 Dec 1;58(11):2453–2458. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19861201)58:11<2453::aid-cncr2820581117>3.0.co;2-i. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hedley D. W. Flow cytometry using paraffin-embedded tissue: five years on. Cytometry. 1989 May;10(3):229–241. doi: 10.1002/cyto.990100302. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hedley D. W., Friedlander M. L., Taylor I. W., Rugg C. A., Musgrove E. A. Method for analysis of cellular DNA content of paraffin-embedded pathological material using flow cytometry. J Histochem Cytochem. 1983 Nov;31(11):1333–1335. doi: 10.1177/31.11.6619538. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hosaka Y., Rainwater L. M., Grant C. S., Young W. F., Jr, Farrow G. M., van Heerden J. A., Lieber M. M. Adrenocortical carcinoma: nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy studied by flow cytometry. Surgery. 1987 Dec;102(6):1027–1034. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hough A. J., Hollifield J. W., Page D. L., Hartmann W. H. Prognostic factors in adrenal cortical tumors. A mathematical analysis of clinical and morphologic data. Am J Clin Pathol. 1979 Sep;72(3):390–399. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/72.3.390. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Joensuu H., Klemi P. J. DNA aneuploidy in adenomas of endocrine organs. Am J Pathol. 1988 Jul;132(1):145–151. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Joensuu H., Klemi P., Eerola E., Tuominen J. Influence of cellular DNA content on survival in differentiated thyroid cancer. Cancer. 1986 Dec 1;58(11):2462–2467. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19861201)58:11<2462::aid-cncr2820581119>3.0.co;2-e. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kaneko Y., Kanda N., Maseki N., Sakurai M., Tsuchida Y., Takeda T., Okabe I., Sakurai M. Different karyotypic patterns in early and advanced stage neuroblastomas. Cancer Res. 1987 Jan 1;47(1):311–318. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Look A. T., Hayes F. A., Nitschke R., McWilliams N. B., Green A. A. Cellular DNA content as a predictor of response to chemotherapy in infants with unresectable neuroblastoma. N Engl J Med. 1984 Jul 26;311(4):231–235. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198407263110405. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Moolenaar A. J., Niewint J. W., Oei I. T. Estimation of o,p'-DDD in plasma by gas-liquid chromatography. Clin Chim Acta. 1977 Apr 15;76(2):213–218. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(77)90098-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Oppedal B. R., Storm-Mathisen I., Lie S. O., Brandtzaeg P. Prognostic factors in neuroblastoma. Clinical, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical features and DNA ploidy in relation to prognosis. Cancer. 1988 Aug 15;62(4):772–780. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19880815)62:4<772::aid-cncr2820620422>3.0.co;2-u. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Padberg B. C., Lauritzen I., Achilles E., Holl K., Bressel M., Klöppel G., Dralle H., Schröder S. DNA cytophotometry in adrenocortical tumours: a clinicomorphological study of 66 cases. Virchows Arch A Pathol Anat Histopathol. 1991;419(3):167–170. doi: 10.1007/BF01626343. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Rodenburg C. J., Cornelisse C. J., Heintz P. A., Hermans J., Fleuren G. J. Tumor ploidy as a major prognostic factor in advanced ovarian cancer. Cancer. 1987 Jan 15;59(2):317–323. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19870115)59:2<317::aid-cncr2820590225>3.0.co;2-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Samaan N. A., Hickey R. C. Adrenal cortical carcinoma. Semin Oncol. 1987 Sep;14(3):292–296. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Schelfhout L. J., Cornelisse C. J., Goslings B. M., Hamming J. F., Kuipers-Dijkshoorn N. J., van de Velde C. J., Fleuren G. J. Frequency and degree of aneuploidy in benign and malignant thyroid neoplasms. Int J Cancer. 1990 Jan 15;45(1):16–20. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910450105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Vindeløv L. L., Christensen I. J., Nissen N. I. A detergent-trypsin method for the preparation of nuclei for flow cytometric DNA analysis. Cytometry. 1983 Mar;3(5):323–327. doi: 10.1002/cyto.990030503. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Weiss L. M. Comparative histologic study of 43 metastasizing and nonmetastasizing adrenocortical tumors. Am J Surg Pathol. 1984 Mar;8(3):163–169. doi: 10.1097/00000478-198403000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. van Slooten H., Moolenaar A. J., van Seters A. P., Smeenk D. The treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma with o,p'-DDD: prognostic implications of serum level monitoring. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol. 1984 Jan;20(1):47–53. doi: 10.1016/0277-5379(84)90033-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. van Slooten H., Schaberg A., Smeenk D., Moolenaar A. J. Morphologic characteristics of benign and malignant adrenocortical tumors. Cancer. 1985 Feb 15;55(4):766–773. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19850215)55:4<766::aid-cncr2820550414>3.0.co;2-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Cancer are provided here courtesy of Cancer Research UK

RESOURCES