Prognostic significance of DNA ploidy pattern and nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR) in colorectal carcinoma.

Aim: To investigate the prognostic significance of DNA ploidy and silver stained nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR), as well as their relation to the histological grade and Dukes' stages of colorectal carcinomas, and the relation of tumor cells proportion in the S-phase and Dukes' stage, histologic grade, DNA ploidy, or AgNOR count.

Methods: DNA flow cytometric analysis and AgNOR were performed on 94 surgically removed colorectal carcinomas. The mean AgNOR count was calculated in 200 tumor cells for each case.