The prognostic significance of growth pattern and its relation to tumor cell nuclear DNA content in endometrial carcinoma

Hysterectomy specimens from 21 endometrial carcinoma patients, who died from their disease, and 23 patients selected at random from 307 survivors, were analysed for tumor growth pattern and tumor cell nuclear DNA content. The results indicate that tumor growth pattern, reflected by the mode of infiltration, is significantly correlated to the clinical course of the disease. Patients with carcinomas exhibiting contiguous growth pattern had a better outcome than patients with discontiguously growing carcinomas. It was also found that tumor growth pattern correlated well with tumor nuclear DNA content. It is suggested that the pattern of infiltration of the tumors is a sensitive predictor of prognosis and that this prognostic information, which only can be obtained postoperatively, to a large extent is reflected by tumor cell nuclear DNA content in curetted diagnostic material, obtained prior to treatment.