Summary: DNA flow cytometric monitoring of changes induced by chemotherapy was performed in 121 patients with malignant melanoma subdivided into several subgroups according to the availability of sequential samples. Induction of DNA aneuploid populations within distant metastases as compared with primary tumor and nodal involvement was observed in 14 of 25 (56%) chemotherapy-treated cases while the similar changes occured spontaneously in only 2 of 27 (7%) chemotherapy-untreated ones. The contribution of chemotherapy to DNA aneuploidy induction was further confirmed by comparing the proportions of DNA aneuploidy in group of primary melanomas (12/31, 39%) and chemotherapy untreated distant metastases (4/11, 36%), while up to 18/27 (67%) of DNA aneuploid profiles were present among chemotherapy-treated metastases. Correlation with course of disease after a long-term follow up are needed to clarify the significance of chemotherapy-induced aneuploidy.
DNA flow cytometry is an efficient tool to study the changes induced by therapies affecting tumoral genome which may bring new insights especially in poorly responding or therapy-resistant malignant tumors
Changes of DNA profile induced by chemotherapy in malignant melanomas
