Multivariate analysis of flow cytometric deoxyribonucleic acid parameters and histological features for prognosis of bladder cancer patients.

We studied whether flow cytometry provides significant prognosticators beyond the classical histological evaluation in the patient with bladder cancer. A total of 203 patients with untreated bladder cancer was evaluated using fresh bladder tumor specimens. Tumor grading and stage were the histological prognostic parameters. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) index, percentage S-phase cells, percentage G2/M-phase cells and hypertetraploid cell presence were assessed as flow cytometric prognostic parameters. Multivariate survival analysis was performed using Cox's proportional regression model to study statistical individual prognostic values of histological and flow cytometric parameters. Hypertetraploid cell presence was the single most important prognostic factor (p less than 0.01), with tumor grade being nearly as important (p less than 0.01), followed by tetraploidy (p less than 0.01) and tumor stage (p less than 0.05). No other parameters, including the DNA index or cell phase fractions, contributed to the model. These results indicated that combined use of histological and flow cytometric parameters may provide additional information regarding the clinical outcome for bladder cancer patients.