Abstract
Twenty supratentorial malignant astrocytoma cases were examined to determine the relationship between clinical characteristics and survival time, using maltivariate analysis.
Inclusion of the S-phase cell percentage and polyploid cell percentage, obtained from DNA histograms by cytofluorometry was found to be important for predicting the survival time. The six most important characteristics for predicted survival were; location of tumor, Karnofsky scale at discharge, S-phase cell percentage, number of operations, polyploid cell percentage, and the extent of tumor removal. Using this mathematical model, the predicted survival times were calculated for three additional cases and were compared with the actual survival times; the respective results were 10 months and 11.45 months (Case 1), 13 months and 16.45 months (Case 2), and 21 months and 21 months (Case 3, still alive). The clinical importance of these prognostic factors are discussed.
