The application of flow cytometry to
cancer diagnosis and the prediction of
tumor behavior continues to expand. The ability of flow cytometry to examine multiple parameters of large numbers of individual cells is being exploited increasingly to characterize
neoplastic processes better. This will allow closer examination of
tumor heterogeneity and identification of subpopulations with different behavioral patterns. Flow cytometry is being used with greater frequency in attempts to predict
tumor behavior and response to
therapy. Flow cytometry may have the most to offer in this area. Diagnosis of
cancer by routine histopathological examination will not be replaced by flow cytometry; flow cytometry will be used in conjunction with morphological descriptions. The detection of proliferation
antigens and
oncogene products, as well as cell cycling, provides information on neoplastic progression that is not readily obtainable by other methods. In addition, flow cytometry will undoubtedly be used to measure other features of neoplastic cells, such as
enzyme levels and ion fluxes, which may better characterize the behavior of the
tumor. Advances in flow cytometry instrumentation, light sources,
fluorochrome development, and basic aspects of cellular and molecular biology will continue to permit this technology to define neoplastic cells and their behavior better, resulting in both improved patient care and a better understanding of
tumor biology.