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- They also provide helpful information about prognosis and treatment.
- • Flow cytometry. This technique analyzes a tumor's DNA content to find out whether the cancer cells contain
- the normal number of chromosomes (diploid) or an abnormal amount (aneuploid). Aneuploid tumors tend to
- be poorly differentiated and aggressive.
- • S-phase testing. This technique measures how fast a tumor is growing. In the S-phase of a cell's growth cycle,
- new DNA is synthesized to prepare for the division of one cell into two. A tumor that is growing slowly may
- have less than 7 percent of cells in the S-phase. A rapidly growing tumor has 8 percent or more. Tumors with
- higher rates of growth have a poorer prognosis and may need more aggressive treatment.
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