1994 Volume 3 Issue 2 Pages 109-112,70
The number of argyrophilic nucleolar organiser regions (AgNOR) per cell reflects the biological aggressiveness of tumors, but the prognostic significance of AgNOR has not been elucidated, yet. In this study, we investigated 157 patients with breast cancer, nine with fibroadenoma, nine with sclerosing adenosis and 15 with normal breast tissue using an AgNOR staining technique. The AgNOR score was significantly higher in breast cancer tissue than in both normal breast tissue and benign lesions (P<0.001). The AgNOR score had a relationship with both the tumor size and lymph node status of breast cancer (P<0.001 and P<0.005, respectively). The relapse-free survival of patients with a high AgNOR score (_??_3.95, mean value) was significantly worse than that of patients with a low AgNOR score (<3.95) (P<0.05). However, multivariate analysis showed that the AgNOR score was not an independent prognostic indicator for breast cancer.
In conclusion, the AgNOR score reflects tumor aggressiveness and it may be a useful prognostic indicator in breast cancer patients for whom other prognostic information is unavailable.
