Chromosomes and Cancer: Human Aspects

Abstract

Chromosome anomalies constitute one of the more commonly observed of the morphologic features of clinical neoplasms. Overall, they represent all known and some remarkably bizarre types, and display a generalized aneuploidy that tends to increase with tumour progression. This has several implications. First, by back extrapolation of the tendency, the anomalies are rare or nonexistent during the earliest stages of oncogenesis; second, malignant progression is partly through increasing genomic instability; and third, aneuploidy can aid in clinical staging of some malignancies. All too rarely, certain specific anomalies occur in a largely nonrandom manner, and they are then also diagnostic and, sometimes, prognostic aids.