USE OF FLOW-CYTOMETRY FOR EVALUATING BREAST-CANCER CELL-PROLIFERATION AFTER CHEMOTHERAPY

We studied the change in cell proliferation after preoperative oral administration of an anticancer drug using flow cytometry for aspirated breast cancer cell specimens, Thirty-six patients with breast cancer received 400 mg/d of oral UFT (a 1:4 mixture of tegafur and uracil) for 1 to 2 weeks preoperatively. Cells aspirated from the tumor using a fine needle were evaluated for changes before and after administration of the drug. Ki-67, a nuclear-associated proliferation related antigen, staining and DNA ploidy were studied using flow cytometry and compared with cytologic and histologic (mastectomy specimen) changes, After administration of UFT, the number of cells stained with Ki-67 antigen decreased (from 89.2 +/- 21.0 to 47.7 +/- 28.6), but DNA ploidy was unchanged. The decreasing number of Ki-67-stained cells was well correlated with cell and tissue damage (P = 0.0170 and P = 0.0090, respectively), These results suggest that flow cytometry is a simple and effective method for evaluating changes in cell proliferation after chemotherapy, This method also would be useful for selecting an effective anticancer drug for postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.