Prognostic significance of newly defined ploidy related parameters in melanoma.

5c exceeding rate is the parameter, most frequently showing prognostic impact. The CAS200 image analyzer makes possible the measurement of additional parameters defining single subfractions of cells, as for example the ratios of diploid, aneuploid, tetraploid, octaploid and 16-ploid cells. The main objective of this study was to define the prognostic significance of these new parameters in 106 primary melanomas with known survival time. 29 out of 106 melanomas were euploid, 77 out of 106 showed an aneuploid histogram. Multivariate analysis with Cox regression demonstrated that the percentage of aneuploid cells between 2c and 4c and the percentage of aneuploid cells between 4c and 8c, but not 5c exceeding rate, were able to influence survival time.