Cell Proliferation Indexes: a Biomarker in Solid Tumors

Clinical studies have shown that carcinogenesis is linked to the development of proliferative abnormalities. Proliferative activity has been found to have prognostic significance in a variety of human tumors. Because proliferative abnormalities can precede the occurrence of morphological abnormalities, their measurement could also serve as useful biomarkers for chemo-prevention trials. The variety of techniques for measuring cell proliferation in routine sections include mitosis counting, AgNORs, DNA precursor uptake (bromodeoxyuridine), and immunohisto-chemical detection of cell cycle proteins (PCNA, Ki-67/MIB-l). It is essential that the virtues and limitations of these methods be examined to ensure collection of meaningful clinical data.