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Argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) area per nucleus as a prognostic factor in breast cancer
Author(s) -
Nakayama Kouichi,
Abe Rikiya
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/jso.2930600305
Subject(s) - nucleolus organizer region , medicine , breast cancer , pathology , nucleus , multivariate analysis , nucleolar organizer region , cancer , oncology , nucleolus , psychiatry
Whether argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) is a predictor of prognosis in breast cancer is controversial. The semiquantitative procedure used to calculate interphasic argyrophilic dots optically is neither reliable nor reproducible. We measured the mean area of AgNOR dots, the mean AgNOR area per nucleus (MA), and the mean AgNOR number per nucleus (MN) by automated image analysis in specimens from 131 patients with breast cancer. Higher MA (>7.41 pun 2 ), detected in 22 (16.8%) of 131 patients, did not correlate with clinicobiologic variables, except for DNA ploidy status. Overall survival was significantly better in patients with lower MA than in those with higher MA. On multivariate analysis, MA was a significant independent factor, followed by nodal status. These findings indicate that expression of AgNOR should be evaluated in terms of area occupied and that the mean area of AgNOR per nucleus (MA) is an important prognostic factor in the overall survival of breast cancer patients. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.