Quantification of the proliferative characteristics of normal and malignant cells has been of interest to oncolo gists and cancer biologists for almost three decades. This interest stems from (a) the fact that cancer is a disease of uncontrolled proliferation, (b) the finding that many of the commonly used anticancer agents are preferentially toxic to cells that are actively proliferating, and (c) the observa tion that significant differences in proliferation characteristics exist between normal and malignant cells. Initially, cell cycle analysis was pursued enthusiastically in the hope of...

Quantification of the proliferative characteristics of normal and malignant cells has been of interest to oncolo- gists and cancer biologists for almost three decades. This interest stems from (a) the fact that cancer is a disease of uncontrolled proliferation, (b) the finding that many of the commonly used anticancer agents are preferentially toxic to cells that are actively proliferating, and (c) the observa- tion that significant differences in proliferation characteristics exist between normal and malignant cells. Initially, cell cycle analysis was pursued enthusiastically in the hope of...