DNA ploidy and PTEN as biomarkers for predicting aggressive disease in prostate cancer patients under active surveillance.

Background: Current risk stratification tools for prostate cancer patients under active surveillance (AS) may inadequately identify those needing treatment. We investigated DNA ploidy and PTEN as potential biomarkers to predict aggressive disease in AS patients.

Methods: We assessed DNA ploidy by image cytometry and PTEN protein expression by immunohistochemistry in 3197 tumour-containing tissue blocks from 558 patients followed in AS at a Norwegian local hospital.

Association Between Proportion of Nuclei With High Chromatin Entropy and Prognosis in Gynecological Cancers.

Background: Nuclear texture analysis measuring differences in chromatin structure has provided prognostic biomarkers in several cancers. There is a need for improved cell-by-cell chromatin analysis to detect nuclei with highly disorganized chromatin. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for detecting nuclei with high chromatin entropy and to evaluate the association between the presence of such deviating nuclei and prognosis.

Changes in Chromatin Structure in Curettage Specimens Identifies High-Risk Patients in Endometrial Cancer.

Background: Most endometrial carcinoma patients are diagnosed at an early stage with a good prognosis. However, a relatively low fraction with lethal disease constitutes a substantial number of patients due to the high incidence rate. Preoperative identification of patients with high risk and low risk for poor outcome is necessary to tailor treatment.

Chromatin changes predict recurrence after radical prostatectomy.

Background: Pathological evaluations give the best prognostic markers for prostate cancer patients after radical prostatectomy, but the observer variance is substantial. These risk assessments should be supported and supplemented by objective methods for identifying patients at increased risk of recurrence. Markers of epigenetic aberrations have shown promising results in several cancer types and can be assessed by automatic analysis of chromatin organisation in tumour cell nuclei.