Analysis of prognostic factors in stage I epithelial ovarian carcinoma: importance of degree of differentiation and deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy in predicting relapse.

Objectives: Our purpose was to identify prognostic factors in stage I epithelial invasive ovarian carcinoma.
Study Design: The traditional clinical and pathologic prognostic variables and deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy were analyzed in a group of 290 patients.
Results: A multivariate analysis identified degree of differentiation as the most powerful prognostic indicator of disease-free survival, followed by deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy and, finally, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (1986) stage. Tumors with clear cell carcinoma elements were not graded, and in this subgroup International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (1986) stage was the most important prognostic characteristic. When the effects of the three most important factors were accounted for in graded tumors, then none of the following were prognostic: histologic type, dense adhesion, extracapsular growth, ascites, rupture during surgery, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (1973) stage, size of tumor, and age and type of adjuvant treatment. None of 77 patients with well differentiated deoxyribonucleic acid diploid tumors had relapses.
Conclusion: Deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy is an important new independent prognostic factor in stage I ovarian carcinoma.