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Piemonte KM, Anstine LJ, Keri RA. Centrosome Aberrations as Drivers of Chromosomal Instability in Breast Cancer. Endocrinology 2021; 162:6381103. [PMID: 34606589 PMCID: PMC8557634 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Chromosomal instability (CIN), or the dynamic change in chromosome number and composition, has been observed in cancer for decades. Recently, this phenomenon has been implicated as facilitating the acquisition of cancer hallmarks and enabling the formation of aggressive disease. Hence, CIN has the potential to serve as a therapeutic target for a wide range of cancers. CIN in cancer often occurs as a result of disrupting key regulators of mitotic fidelity and faithful chromosome segregation. As a consequence of their essential roles in mitosis, dysfunctional centrosomes can induce and maintain CIN. Centrosome defects are common in breast cancer, a heterogeneous disease characterized by high CIN. These defects include amplification, structural defects, and loss of primary cilium nucleation. Recent studies have begun to illuminate the ability of centrosome aberrations to instigate genomic flux in breast cancer cells and the tumor evolution associated with aggressive disease and poor patient outcomes. Here, we review the role of CIN in breast cancer, the processes by which centrosome defects contribute to CIN in this disease, and the emerging therapeutic approaches that are being developed to capitalize upon such aberrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina M Piemonte
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Lindsey J Anstine
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Ruth A Keri
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Correspondence: Ruth A. Keri, PhD, Department of Cancer Biology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
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Pareja F, Marchiò C, Geyer FC, Weigelt B, Reis-Filho JS. Breast Cancer Heterogeneity: Roles in Tumorigenesis and Therapeutic Implications. CURRENT BREAST CANCER REPORTS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s12609-017-0233-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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3
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Bloomfield M, Duesberg P. Inherent variability of cancer-specific aneuploidy generates metastases. Mol Cytogenet 2016; 9:90. [PMID: 28018487 PMCID: PMC5160004 DOI: 10.1186/s13039-016-0297-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The genetic basis of metastasis is still unclear because metastases carry individual karyotypes and phenotypes, rather than consistent mutations, and are rare compared to conventional mutation. There is however correlative evidence that metastasis depends on cancer-specific aneuploidy, and that metastases are karyotypically related to parental cancers. Accordingly we propose that metastasis is a speciation event. This theory holds that cancer-specific aneuploidy varies the clonal karyotypes of cancers automatically by unbalancing thousands of genes, and that rare variants form new autonomous subspecies with metastatic or other non-parental phenotypes like drug-resistance – similar to conventional subspeciation. Results To test this theory, we analyzed the karyotypic and morphological relationships between seven cancers and corresponding metastases. We found (1) that the cellular phenotypes of metastases were closely related to those of parental cancers, (2) that metastases shared 29 to 96% of their clonal karyotypic elements or aneusomies with the clonal karyotypes of parental cancers and (3) that, unexpectedly, the karyotypic complexity of metastases was very similar to that of the parental cancer. This suggests that metastases derive cancer-specific autonomy by conserving the overall complexity of the parental karyotype. We deduced from these results that cancers cause metastases by karyotypic variations and selection for rare metastatic subspecies. Further we asked whether metastases with multiple metastasis-specific aneusomies are assembled in one or multiple, sequential steps. Since (1) no stable karyotypic intermediates of metastases were observed in cancers here and previously by others, and (2) the karyotypic complexities of cancers are conserved in metastases, we concluded that metastases are generated from cancers in one step – like subspecies in conventional speciation. Conclusions We conclude that the risk of cancers to metastasize is proportional to the degree of cancer-specific aneuploidy, because aneuploidy catalyzes the generation of subspecies, including metastases, at aneuploidy-dependent rates. Since speciation by random chromosomal rearrangements and selection is unpredictable, the theory that metastases are karyotypic subspecies of cancers also explains Foulds’ rules, which hold that the origins of metastases are “abrupt” and that their phenotypes are “unpredictable.”
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew Bloomfield
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology; Donner Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA ; Present address: Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Dominican University of California, San Rafael, CA USA
| | - Peter Duesberg
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology; Donner Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
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Bergamo A, Sava G. Linking the future of anticancer metal-complexes to the therapy of tumour metastases. Chem Soc Rev 2015; 44:8818-35. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cs00134j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Cancer chemotherapy is almost always applied to patients with one or more diagnosed metastases and is expected to impact these lesions, thus providing significant benefits to the patient.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gianni Sava
- Callerio Foundation Onlus
- 34127 Trieste
- Italy
- Department of Life Sciences
- University of Trieste
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5
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Xiang DB, Wei B, Abraham SC, Huo L, Albarracin CT, Zhang H, Babiera G, Caudle AS, Akay CL, Rao P, Zhao YJ, Lu X, Wu Y. Molecular cytogenetic characterization of mammary neuroendocrine carcinoma. Hum Pathol 2014; 45:1951-6. [PMID: 25074542 DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2014.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Revised: 06/01/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Primary mammary neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) is an uncommon entity that accounts for 2% to 5% of breast carcinomas. Recent reports have shown that NEC of the breast is an aggressive subtype of mammary carcinoma that is distinct from invasive ductal carcinoma, not otherwise specified, and have suggested that these tumors have a poorer prognosis than invasive ductal carcinoma, not otherwise specified. In this study, we provide the first cytogenetic characterization of mammary NEC using both conventional G-banding and spectral karyotype on a group of 7 tumors. We identified clonal chromosomal aberrations in 5 (71.4%) cases, with 4 of them showing complex karyotypes. Of these, recurrent numerical aberrations included gain of chromosome 7 (n = 2) and loss of chromosome 15 (n = 2). Recurrent clonal structural chromosomal aberrations involved chromosomes 1 (n = 3), 3 (n = 2), 6q (n = 3), and 17q (n = 3). Of the 4 (57.1%) cases with complex karyotypes, 2 showed evidence of chromothripsis, a phenomenon in which tens to hundreds of genomic rearrangements occur in a one-off cellular crisis. One of these had evidence of chromothripsis involving chromosomes 1, 6, 8, and 15. The other also had evidence of chromosome 8 chromothripsis, making this a recurrent finding shared by both cases. We also found that mammary NEC shared some cytogenetic abnormalities--such as trisomy 7 and 12--with other neuroendocrine tumors in the lung and gastrointestinal tract, suggesting trisomy 7 and 12 as potential common molecular aberrations in neuroendocrine tumors. To our knowledge, this is the first report on molecular cytogenetic characterization of mammary NEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- De-Bing Xiang
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030; Cancer Center, Jiangjin Central Hospital, Chongqing, China 402260
| | - Bing Wei
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030; Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China 610041
| | - Susan C Abraham
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Lei Huo
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Constance T Albarracin
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Hong Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Gildy Babiera
- Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Abigail S Caudle
- Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Catherine L Akay
- Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Pulivarthi Rao
- Department of Pediatrics, Molecular and Cytogenetics Laboratory, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Yi-Jue Zhao
- Department of Pediatrics, Molecular and Cytogenetics Laboratory, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Xinyan Lu
- Department of Pediatrics, Molecular and Cytogenetics Laboratory, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030; Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Yun Wu
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030.
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Abstract
In recent years it has become clear that cancer cells within a single tumor can display striking morphological, genetic and behavioral variability. Burgeoning genetic, epigenetic and phenomenological data support the existence of intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity in breast cancers; however, its basis is yet to be fully defined. Two of the most widely evoked concepts to explain the origin of heterogeneity within tumors are the cancer stem cell hypothesis and the clonal evolution model. Although the cancer stem cell model appeared to provide an explanation for the variability among the neoplastic cells within a given cancer, advances in massively parallel sequencing have provided several lines of evidence to suggest that intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity likely plays a fundamental role in the phenotypic heterogeneity observed in cancers. Many challenges remain, however, in the interpretation of the next generation sequencing results obtained so far. Here we review the models that explain tumor heterogeneity, the causes of intra-tumor genetic diversity and their impact on our understanding and management of breast cancer, methods to study intra-tumor heterogeneity and the assessment of intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity in the clinic.
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Guttery DS, Blighe K, Page K, Marchese SD, Hills A, Coombes RC, Stebbing J, Shaw JA. Hide and seek: tell-tale signs of breast cancer lurking in the blood. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2013; 32:289-302. [PMID: 23108389 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-012-9414-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer treatment is improving due to the introduction of new drugs, guided by molecular testing of the primary tumour for mutations/oncogenic drivers (e.g. HER2 gene amplification). However, tumour tissue is not always available for molecular analysis, intra-tumoural heterogeneity is common and the "cancer genome" is known to evolve with time, particularly following treatment as resistance develops. After resection, those patients with only residual micrometastases are likely to be cured but those with radiologically detectable overt disease are not. Thus, the discovery of blood test(s) that could (1) alert clinicians to early primary or recurrent disease and (2) monitor response to treatment could impact significantly on mortality. Towards this, we and others have focused on molecular profiling of circulating nucleic acids isolated from plasma, both cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and microRNAs, and the relationship of these to circulating tumour cells (CTCs). This review considers the utility of each as circulating biomarkers in breast cancer with particular emphasis on the bioinformatic tools available to support molecular profiling.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Guttery
- Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK.
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8
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Ng CKY, Pemberton HN, Reis-Filho JS. Breast cancer intratumor genetic heterogeneity: causes and implications. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2013; 12:1021-32. [PMID: 23030222 DOI: 10.1586/era.12.85] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
There is burgeoning evidence to suggest that tumor evolution follows the laws of Darwinian evolution, whereby individual tumor cell clones harbor private genetic aberrations in addition to the founder mutations, and that these distinct populations of cancer cells interact in competitive and mutualistic manners. The combined effect of genetic and epigenetic instability, and differential selective pressures according to the microenvironment and therapeutic interventions, create many different evolutionary routes such that intratumor heterogeneity is inevitable. Numerous cytogenetic, comparative genomic hybridization and, more recently, massively parallel sequencing studies have generated indisputable evidence of this phenomenon. The impact of intratumor heterogeneity on response and resistance to therapy is beginning to be understood; this information may prove crucial for the potentials of personalized medicine to be realized. In this review, the evidence of intratumor heterogeneity in breast cancer, its potential causes and implications for the clinical management of breast cancer patients are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte K Y Ng
- Molecular Pathology Team, Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
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9
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Duesberg P, Iacobuzio-Donahue C, Brosnan JA, McCormack A, Mandrioli D, Chen L. Origin of metastases: subspecies of cancers generated by intrinsic karyotypic variations. Cell Cycle 2012; 11:1151-66. [PMID: 22377695 DOI: 10.4161/cc.11.6.19580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Conventional mutation theories do not explain (1) why the karyotypes of metastases are related to those of parental cancers but not to those of metastases of other cancers and (2) why cancers metastasize at rates that often far exceed those of conventional mutations. To answer these questions, we advance here the theory that metastases are autonomous subspecies of cancers, rather than mutations. Since cancers are species with intrinsically flexible karyotypes, they can generate new subspecies by spontaneous karyotypic rearrangements. This phylogenetic theory predicts that metastases are karyotypically related to parental cancers but not to others. Testing these predictions on metastases from two pancreatic cancers, we found: (1) Metastases had individual karyotypes and phenotypes. The karyotypes of metastases were related to, but different from, those of parental cancers in 11 out of 37 and 26 out of 49 parental chromosomal units. Chromosomal units are defined as intact chromosomes with cancer-specific copy numbers and marker chromosomes that are > 50% clonal. (2) Metastases from the two different cancers did not share chromosomal units. Testing the view that multi-chromosomal rearrangements occur simultaneously in cancers, as opposed to sequentially, we found spontaneous non-clonal rearrangements with as many new chromosomal units as in authentic metastases. We conclude that metastases are individual autonomous species differing from each other and parental cancers in species-specific karyotypes and phenotypes. They are generated from parental cancers by multiple simultaneous karyotypic rearrangements, much like new species. The species-specific individualities of metastases explain why so many searches for commonalities have been unsuccessful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Duesberg
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Donner Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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10
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Abstract
All or almost all neoplasias subjected to systematic cytogenetic scrutiny have been found to harbor acquired chromosomal aberrations. The paradigm stemming from the study of hematopoietic malignancies and sarcomas is that cancers are of monoclonal origin (i.e., they have developed from a single transformed somatic progenitor) because all the neoplastic parenchyma cells share at least one primary chromosomal abnormality, with subsequent clonal evolution along the lines of Darwinian selection occurring among the various subclones carrying secondary aberrations. When carcinomas began to be studied more extensively by cytogenetic methods, however, sometimes many cytogenetically unrelated clones were found, in seeming contradiction to the monoclonal hypothesis. Also studies of multiple samples from the same patient led to a rethinking of what the cytogenetic evidence really revealed about tumor clonality, both in its early stages and during disease development. The observed cytogenetic heterogeneity in, for example, tumors of the breast and pancreas vastly surpasses that of leukemias, lymphomas, connective tissue tumors, or even most epithelial, including uroepithelial, tumors. Theoretical reasoning as well as the available experimental data we here review show that the clonal evolution of neoplastic cell populations follows either of four principal pathways: (1) initial monoclonality is retained throughout the entire course of the disease with no additional, secondary aberrations accrued as judged by karyotypic appearance; (2) tumorigenesis is monoclonal but additional aberrations develop with time leading to secondary clonal heterogeneity (clonal divergence); (3) polyclonal tumorigenesis exists from the beginning but is followed by an overall reduction in genomic complexity with time (clonal convergence) due to selection among cytogenetically unrelated clones during tumor progression, resulting in secondary oligo- or monoclonality; or (4) polyclonal tumorigenesis with early clonal convergence is followed by later clonal divergence due to the acquisition of additional cytogenetic changes by the clone(s) that survived during the middle phases of tumor progression. Further studies of individual tumor cells are necessary to elicit precise information about the cell-to-cell variability that exists in many, especially epithelial, neoplasms and which holds the key to a more profound understanding of the complex issue of tumor clonality during all stages of cancer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel R Teixeira
- Department of Genetics, Portuguese Oncology Institute, Porto, Portugal
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11
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Kraljevic Pavelic S, Sedic M, Bosnjak H, Spaventi S, Pavelic K. Metastasis: new perspectives on an old problem. Mol Cancer 2011; 10:22. [PMID: 21342498 PMCID: PMC3052211 DOI: 10.1186/1476-4598-10-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2010] [Accepted: 02/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Many hypotheses have been postulated to explain the intricate nature of the metastatic process, but none of them completely accounted for the actual biological and clinical observations. Consequently, metastasis still remains an open issue with only few metastasis-inducing proteins experimentally validated so far. Recently proposed novel metastatic model, where serial and parallel metastatic processes are adequately integrated, might help to bridge the current gap between experimental results and clinical observations. In addition, the identification, isolation and molecular characterization of cancer stem cells, a population of the cells within the tumour mass able to proliferate, self-renew and induce tumorigenesis, will shed new light on the complex molecular events mediating metastasis, invasion and resistance to therapy. Understanding the molecular basis of these tumour characteristics will usher in a new age of individualized cancer therapy. In this review article, we will provide a current overview of molecular mechanisms underpinning metastasis, and discuss recent findings in this field obtained by global molecular profiling strategies such as proteomics.
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12
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Nielsen KV, Müller S, Møller S, Schønau A, Balslev E, Knoop AS, Ejlertsen B. Aberrations of ERBB2 and TOP2A genes in breast cancer. Mol Oncol 2009; 4:161-8. [PMID: 19945923 DOI: 10.1016/j.molonc.2009.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2009] [Revised: 11/10/2009] [Accepted: 11/11/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Copy number changes in TOP2A have frequently been linked to ERBB2 (HER2) amplified breast cancers. To study this relationship, copy number changes of ERBB2 and TOP2A were investigated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in two cell lines; one characterized by having amplification of both genes and the other by having amplification of ERBB2 and deletion of TOP2A. The characteristics are compared to findings on paired ERBB2 and TOP2A data from 649 patients with invasive breast cancer from a previously published biomarker study. The physical localization of FISH signals in metaphase spreads from cell lines showed that simultaneous amplification is not a simple co-amplification of a whole amplicon containing both genes. Most gene signals are translocated to abnormal marker chromosomes. ERBB2 genes but not TOP2A genes are present in tandem amplicons, leading to a higher ERBB2 ratio. This observation was confirmed by patient FISH data: among 276 (43% of all patients) abnormal tumors, 67% had different ERBB2 and TOP2A status. ERBB2 amplification with normal TOP2A status was found in 36% of the abnormal tumors (15% of all patients). Simultaneous amplification of both genes was found in 28% of the abnormal tumors (12% of all patients) while TOP2A deletion and ERBB2 amplification was observed in 16% of the abnormal cases (8% of all patients). A small number of tumors had TOP2A amplification (4%) or deletion (6%) without simultaneous changes of the ERBB2 gene. ERBB2 deletion was also observed (5%) but only in tumors with simultaneous TOP2A deletion. The average gene/reference ratio was significantly different: 5.0 for TOP2A but 7.2 for ERBB2 in the amplified tumors (P<0.01). Amplification of the two genes may be caused by different mechanisms, leading to higher level of amplification for ERBB2 compared to TOP2A. In the majority of breast cancer patients, simultaneous aberration of ERBB2 and TOP2A is not explained by simple co-amplification.
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Zhang WK, Zhang C, Zhang JJ, Liu SV. Occurrence of cancer at multiple sites: towards distinguishing multigenesis from metastasis. Biol Direct 2008; 3:14. [PMID: 18405362 PMCID: PMC2373780 DOI: 10.1186/1745-6150-3-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2008] [Accepted: 04/11/2008] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Occurrence of tumors at multiple sites is a hallmark of malignant cancers and contributes to the high mortality of cancers. The formation of multi-site cancers (MSCs) has conventionally been regarded as a result of hematogenous metastasis. However, some MSCs may appear as unusual in the sense of vascular dissemination pattern and therefore be explained by alternative metastasis models or even by non-metastatic independent formation mechanisms. Results Through literature review and incorporation of recent advance in understanding aging and development, we identified two alternative mechanisms for the independent formation of MSCs: 1) formation of separate tumors from cancer-initiating cells (CICs) mutated at an early stage of development and then diverging as to their physical locations upon further development, 2) formation of separate tumors from different CICs that contain mutations in some convergent ways. Either of these processes does not require long-distance migration and/or vascular dissemination of cancer cells from a primary site to a secondary site. Thus, we classify the formation of these MSCs from indigenous CICs (iCICs) into a new mechanistic category of tumor formation – multigenesis. Conclusion A multigenesis view on multi-site cancer (MSCs) may offer explanations for some "unusual metastasis" and has important implications for designing expanded strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of cancers. Reviewers This article was reviewed by Carlo C. Maley nominated by Laura F. Landweber and Razvan T. Radulescu nominated by David R. Kaplan. For the full reviews, please go to the Reviewers' comments section.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Kang Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Union Hospital, Huazhong Science and Technology University, Wuhan, China.
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14
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Torres L, Ribeiro FR, Pandis N, Andersen JA, Heim S, Teixeira MR. Intratumor genomic heterogeneity in breast cancer with clonal divergence between primary carcinomas and lymph node metastases. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2006; 102:143-55. [PMID: 16906480 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-006-9317-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2006] [Accepted: 06/21/2006] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Conflicting theories of epithelial carcinogenesis disagree on the clonal composition of primary tumors and on the time at which metastases occur. In order to study the spatial distribution of disparate clonal populations within breast carcinomas and the extent of the genetic relationship between primary tumors and regional metastases, we have analyzed by comparative genomic hybridization 122 tissue samples from altogether 60 breast cancer patients, including 34 tumor samples obtained from different quadrants of 9 breast carcinomas, as well as paired primary-metastatic samples from 12 patients. The median intratumor genetic heterogeneity score (HS) was 17.4% and unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis comparing the genetic features to those of an independent series of 41 breast carcinomas confirmed intratumor clonal divergence in a high proportion of cases. The median HS between paired primary breast tumors and lymph node metastases was 33.3%, but the number of genomic imbalances did not differ significantly. Clustering analysis confirmed extensive clonal divergence between primary carcinomas and lymph node metastases in several cases. In the independent series of 41 breast carcinomas, the number of genomic imbalances in primary tumors was significantly higher in patients presenting lymph node metastases (median = 15.5) than in the group with no evidence of disease spreading at diagnosis (median = 5.0). We conclude that primary breast carcinomas may be composed of several genetically heterogeneous and spatially separated cell populations and that paired primary breast tumors and lymph node metastases often present divergent clonal evolution, indicating that metastases may occur relatively early during breast carcinogenesis.
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MESH Headings
- Alleles
- Breast Neoplasms/genetics
- Breast Neoplasms/pathology
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/genetics
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/secondary
- Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating/genetics
- Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating/secondary
- Carcinoma, Lobular/genetics
- Carcinoma, Lobular/secondary
- Carcinoma, Medullary/genetics
- Carcinoma, Medullary/secondary
- Chromosomes, Human/genetics
- DNA, Neoplasm/genetics
- Female
- Flow Cytometry
- Genetic Heterogeneity
- Humans
- Lymphatic Metastasis
- Nucleic Acid Hybridization
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Affiliation(s)
- Lurdes Torres
- Department of Genetics, Portuguese Oncology Institute, Rua Dr António Bernardino de Almeida, Porto, Portugal
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Lambros MBK, Simpson PT, Jones C, Natrajan R, Westbury C, Steele D, Savage K, Mackay A, Schmitt FC, Ashworth A, Reis-Filho JS. Unlocking pathology archives for molecular genetic studies: a reliable method to generate probes for chromogenic and fluorescent in situ hybridization. J Transl Med 2006; 86:398-408. [PMID: 16446704 DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.3700390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromogenic (CISH) and fluorescent (FISH) in situ hybridization have emerged as reliable techniques to identify amplifications and chromosomal translocations. CISH provides a spatial distribution of gene copy number changes in tumour tissue and allows a direct correlation between copy number changes and the morphological features of neoplastic cells. However, the limited number of commercially available gene probes has hindered the use of this technique. We have devised a protocol to generate probes for CISH that can be applied to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections (FFPETS). Bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) containing fragments of human DNA which map to specific genomic regions of interest are amplified with phi29 polymerase and random primer labelled with biotin. The genomic location of these can be readily confirmed by BAC end pair sequencing and FISH mapping on normal lymphocyte metaphase spreads. To demonstrate the reliability of the probes generated with this protocol, four strategies were employed: (i) probes mapping to cyclin D1 (CCND1) were generated and their performance was compared with that of a commercially available probe for the same gene in a series of 10 FFPETS of breast cancer samples of which five harboured CCND1 amplification; (ii) probes targeting cyclin-dependent kinase 4 were used to validate an amplification identified by microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) in a pleomorphic adenoma; (iii) probes targeting fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 and CCND1 were used to validate amplifications mapping to these regions, as defined by aCGH, in an invasive lobular breast carcinoma with FISH and CISH; and (iv) gene-specific probes for ETV6 and NTRK3 were used to demonstrate the presence of t(12;15)(p12;q25) translocation in a case of breast secretory carcinoma with dual colour FISH. In summary, this protocol enables the generation of probes mapping to any gene of interest that can be applied to FFPETS, allowing correlation of morphological features with gene copy number.
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MESH Headings
- Adenoma, Pleomorphic/genetics
- Adenoma, Pleomorphic/pathology
- Biological Specimen Banks
- Breast Neoplasms/genetics
- Breast Neoplasms/pathology
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/genetics
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/pathology
- Carcinoma, Lobular/genetics
- Carcinoma, Lobular/pathology
- Chromogenic Compounds
- Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial
- DNA Probes/biosynthesis
- Female
- Humans
- In Situ Hybridization/methods
- Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
- Paraffin Embedding
- Pathology/methods
- Salivary Gland Neoplasms/genetics
- Salivary Gland Neoplasms/pathology
- Sensitivity and Specificity
- Tissue Fixation
- Translocation, Genetic
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryou B K Lambros
- The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
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Harigopal M, Berger AJ, Camp RL, Rimm DL, Kluger HM. Automated quantitative analysis of E-cadherin expression in lymph node metastases is predictive of survival in invasive ductal breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2005; 11:4083-9. [PMID: 15930343 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-04-2191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The tumor suppressor adhesion molecule E-cadherin is believed to have an anti-invasive role in breast cancer. Lymph node involvement is the best prognostic marker known, yet there is variability in outcome among node-positive patients. We investigated the relationship between E-cadherin expression in primary invasive ductal tumors and corresponding nodal metastases, and determined the prognostic value of E-cadherin expression in node-positive breast cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Membrane E-cadherin expression was studied by immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarrays with fluorescent-labeled antibodies. An objective method of automated quantitative analysis (AQUA) was used. AQUA uses cytokeratin to define pixels as breast cancer (tumor mask) within the array spot, and measures E-cadherin expression using a Cy5-conjugated antibody within the mask. RESULTS We employed a tissue microarray containing 207 primary and matched nodal metastases suitable for AQUA analysis. There was no significant difference in mean staining intensity between the primary and nodal specimens (P = 0.8). A scattergram was generated which identified a subset of patients (25%) with high E-cadherin expression in nodal metastases, and this top quartile had improved survival (P = 0.028). On univariate analysis, increased E-cadherin expression in nodal metastases was strongly associated with improved survival (P = 0.007), whereas expression in primary tumors was not (P = 0.13). On multivariate analysis, nodal E-cadherin expression retained its independent association with survival, as did tumor size and HER2/neu status. CONCLUSIONS Strong E-cadherin expression in lymph node metastases was highly predictive of improved survival. This suggests that expression of adhesion molecules at metastatic sites portends less aggressive tumor behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malini Harigopal
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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17
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Pinkas J, Martin SS, Leder P. Bcl-2-Mediated Cell Survival Promotes Metastasis of EpH4 βMEKDD Mammary Epithelial Cells. Mol Cancer Res 2004. [DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.551.2.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The majority of patients who succumb to cancer die from metastatic disease progression rather than from the primary tumor. Elucidation of the mechanisms underlying tissue-specific metastasis is essential to the development of effective therapies. The mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) pathway is frequently activated in human tumors and has been shown to regulate genes involved in proliferation, migration, and invasion. Studies with MEK-transformed EpH4 mouse mammary epithelial cells showed that these cells are highly tumorigenic but have a limited metastatic ability. Detachment of epithelial cells from the extracellular matrix causes disruption of the actin cytoskeleton and induces apoptosis. Several metastatic breast carcinoma cell lines have been shown to be resistant to cell death following actin disruption. This death-resistant phenotype can be modeled by overexpressing the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein in cells. This suggests that mechanisms that regulate survival of extravasated tumor cells may enhance metastatic efficiency. Therefore, we examined whether expression of Bcl-2 in MEK-transformed EpH4 mammary epithelial cells could provide a survival advantage and promote metastasis. Expression of Bcl-2 in parental EpH4 mammary epithelial cells or MEK-transformed cells was insufficient to induce increased migration, invasion, or tumor development. However, Bcl-2 expression markedly enhanced spontaneous lung metastasis from orthotopically implanted primary tumors. These results clearly show that mechanisms that regulate primary tumor development are distinct from those that promote metastasis and that assays designed to isolate genes involved in transformation may fail to identify genes that are critical regulators of metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Pinkas
- Department of Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Stuart S. Martin
- Department of Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Philip Leder
- Department of Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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18
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Tutt
- The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JB, UK
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19
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Abstract
Geno-phenotypic patterns of pre-invasive and invasive lobular breast cancers and infiltrating ductal carcinomas of low, intermediate, and high grade are reviewed. One of the main differences between lobular breast cancers and ductal carcinomas is the presence of inactivating E-cadherin gene mutations in lobular breast cancers. In many other respects, lobular breast cancers and low-grade ductal carcinomas exhibit similar geno-phenotypic profiles. The development of p53 dysfunction may be a hallmark of infiltrating ductal cancers of intermediate and high grade. Sequential Her-2/neu and ras abnormalities define a subset of aggressive high-grade tumors, and the development of Rb dysfunction may define a separate subset of aggressive ductal cancers. Based on these observations, a branching molecular evolutionary model for the development and progression of breast cancer is proposed.
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MESH Headings
- Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism
- Breast Neoplasms/genetics
- Breast Neoplasms/metabolism
- Breast Neoplasms/pathology
- Carcinoma in Situ/genetics
- Carcinoma in Situ/metabolism
- Carcinoma in Situ/pathology
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/genetics
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/pathology
- Carcinoma, Lobular/genetics
- Carcinoma, Lobular/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Lobular/pathology
- Chromosome Aberrations
- Disease Progression
- Female
- Humans
- Mutation
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley E Shackney
- Department of Human Oncology, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, USA.
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20
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Schmidt-Kittler O, Ragg T, Daskalakis A, Granzow M, Ahr A, Blankenstein TJF, Kaufmann M, Diebold J, Arnholdt H, Muller P, Bischoff J, Harich D, Schlimok G, Riethmuller G, Eils R, Klein CA. From latent disseminated cells to overt metastasis: genetic analysis of systemic breast cancer progression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2003; 100:7737-42. [PMID: 12808139 PMCID: PMC164657 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1331931100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 462] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the present view, metastasis marks the end in a sequence of genomic changes underlying the progression of an epithelial cell to a lethal cancer. Here, we aimed to find out at what stage of tumor development transformed cells leave the primary tumor and whether a defined genotype corresponds to metastatic disease. To this end, we isolated single disseminated cancer cells from bone marrow of breast cancer patients and performed single-cell comparative genomic hybridization. We analyzed disseminated tumor cells from patients after curative resection of the primary tumor (stage M0), as presumptive progenitors of manifest metastasis, and from patients with manifest metastasis (stage M1). Their genomic data were compared with those from microdissected areas of matched primary tumors. Disseminated cells from M0-stage patients displayed significantly fewer chromosomal aberrations than primary tumors or cells from M1-stage patients (P < 0.008 and P < 0.0001, respectively), and their aberrations appeared to be randomly generated. In contrast, primary tumors and M1 cells harbored different and characteristic chromosomal imbalances. Moreover, applying machine-learning methods for the classification of the genotypes, we could correctly identify the presence or absence of metastatic disease in a patient on the basis of a single-cell genome. We suggest that in breast cancer, tumor cells may disseminate in a far less progressed genomic state than previously thought, and that they acquire genomic aberrations typical of metastatic cells thereafter. Thus, our data challenge the widely held view that the precursors of metastasis are derived from the most advanced clone within the primary tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg Schmidt-Kittler
- Institut für Immunologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80336 München, Germany
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21
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Pantou D, Tsarouha H, Papadopoulou A, Mahaira L, Kyriazoglou I, Apostolikas N, Markidou S, Trangas T, Pandis N, Bardi G. Cytogenetic profile of unknown primary tumors: clues for their pathogenesis and clinical management. Neoplasia 2003; 5:23-31. [PMID: 12659667 PMCID: PMC1502119 DOI: 10.1016/s1476-5586(03)80014-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Unknown primary tumors (UPTs) represent an entity of great clinical and biological interest, whose origin cannot be determined even after medical workup. To better understand their pathogenesis by outlining their genetic composition, 20 UPTs were investigated by G-banding, supplemented with Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization and Comparative Genomic Hybridization analyses. The data obtained were sufficient to reach a diagnosis in five cases-four lymphomas and one Ewing sarcoma-demonstrating that in a subset of UPTs, cytogenetics can be an adjunct for differential diagnosis. In the remaining 15 UPTs, an aggressive cytogenetic pattern was revealed. The most frequently rearranged chromosome regions were 1q21, 3p13, 6q15-23, 7q22, 11p12-5, and 11q14-24, pinpointing gene loci probably associated with the peculiar pathogenesis of UPTs. The preferential involvement of 4q31, 6q15, 10q25, and 13q22 in adenocarcinomas (whereas 11q22 is involved in the rest of the carcinomas)-in addition to the marked divergence in the mean average of chromosomal changes, 16 and 3, respectively-demonstrates genotypic differences between the two histologic subgroups. Furthermore, the significantly shorter survival in cases displaying massive chromosome changes compared with those having a few changes indicates that the cytogenetic pattern might be used as a tool to assess prognosis in UPTs, even without the detection of their primary site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitra Pantou
- Department of Genetics, G. Papanikolaou Research Center Athens, Greece
| | - Haroula Tsarouha
- Department of Genetics, G. Papanikolaou Research Center Athens, Greece
| | - Anna Papadopoulou
- Department of Genetics, G. Papanikolaou Research Center Athens, Greece
| | - Louiza Mahaira
- Department of Genetics, G. Papanikolaou Research Center Athens, Greece
| | - Ioannis Kyriazoglou
- Department of Orthopedics, Saint Savas Regional Oncological Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikiforos Apostolikas
- Department of Pathology Saint Savas Regional Oncological Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Sophia Markidou
- Department of Cytology, Saint Savas Regional Oncological Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Theoni Trangas
- Department of Genetics, G. Papanikolaou Research Center Athens, Greece
| | - Nikos Pandis
- Department of Genetics, G. Papanikolaou Research Center Athens, Greece
| | - Georgia Bardi
- Department of Genetics, G. Papanikolaou Research Center Athens, Greece
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22
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Klein CA, Blankenstein TJF, Schmidt-Kittler O, Petronio M, Polzer B, Stoecklein NH, Riethmüller G. Genetic heterogeneity of single disseminated tumour cells in minimal residual cancer. Lancet 2002; 360:683-9. [PMID: 12241875 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(02)09838-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 341] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Because cancer patients with small tumours often relapse despite local and systemic treatment, we investigated the genetic variation of the precursors of distant metastasis at the stage of minimal residual disease. Disseminated tumour cells can be detected by epithelial markers in mesenchymal tissues and represent targets for adjuvant therapies. METHODS We screened 525 bone-marrow, blood, and lymph-node samples from 474 patients with breast, prostate, and gastrointestinal cancers for single disseminated cancer cells by immunocytochemistry with epithelial-specific markers. 71 (14%) of the samples contained two or more tumour cells whose genomic organisation we studied by single cell genomic hybridisation. In addition, we tested whether TP53 was mutated. Hierarchical clustering algorithms were used to determine the degree of clonal relatedness of sister cells that were isolated from individual patients. FINDINGS Irrespective of cancer type, we saw an unexpectedly high genetic divergence in minimal residual cancer, particularly at the level of chromosomal imbalances. Although few disseminated cells harboured TP53 mutations at this stage of disease, we also saw microheterogeneity of the TP53 genotype. The genetic heterogeneity was strikingly reduced with the emergence of clinically evident metastasis. INTERPRETATION Although the heterogeneity of primary tumours has long been known, we show here that early disseminated cancer cells are genomically very unstable as well. Selection of clonally expanding cells leading to metastasis seems to occur after dissemination has taken place. Therefore, adjuvant therapies are confronted with an extremely large reservoir of variant cells from which resistant tumour cells can be selected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph A Klein
- Institut für Immunologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-80336 München, Germany.
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23
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Teixeira MR, Pandis N, Heim S. Cytogenetic clues to breast carcinogenesis. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2002; 33:1-16. [PMID: 11746982 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.1206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The somatic mutation theory of cancer maintains that tumorigenesis is driven by genetic alterations, many of which are visible cytogenetically. We have examined breast cancer by chromosome banding analysis after short-term culturing of tumor cells and here review our findings in 322 karyotypically abnormal samples obtained since 1992 from 256 patients. The screening capabilities of this technique enabled us to identify several cytogenetic subgroups of breast cancer, to study the intratumor heterogeneity of breast carcinomas, and to compare primary tumors with their metastases. Using chromosome abnormalities as clonality markers, we could determine on an individual basis when multiple, ipsilateral or bilateral breast, tumors were independent de novo carcinomas and when they resulted from the spreading of a single malignant clone within one breast or from one breast to the other. The distribution of chromosomal breakpoints and genomic gains and losses is clearly nonrandom in breast cancer, something that can guide further investigations using molecular methods. Based on the total dataset, we propose a multipathway model of mammary carcinogenesis that takes into consideration the genetic heterogeneity revealed by the karyotypic findings and review the karyotypic-pathologic correlations and the possible clinical applications of the cytogenetic knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel R Teixeira
- Department of Genetics, Portuguese Oncology Institute, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal.
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24
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Abstract
This editorial comments on the important study by Going et al. published in the present issue of the Journal [1]. Using a molecular genetic assay based on the X-chromosome inactivation principle, they found that 4 out of 12 breast carcinomas examined exhibited what the authors call "clonal mosaicism" that is, two or more monoclonal samples were mosaic (polyclonal) in respect of X chromosome inactivation between separate, morphologically homogeneous tumour areas. The authors very carefully discuss potential methodological errors that could have led to this surprising finding, which seems to run counter to the almost unanimously held conviction that carcinomas are monoclonal in origin, but none of these potential errors would explain the results. As often in such situations, the authors prudently state that further studies using independent analytical techniques are necessary to find out whether a significant proportion of mammary carcinomas are indeed polyclonal. However, there already exists a substantial body of evidence from cytogenetic studies of breast cancers indicating that many of them are polyclonal. Although there is still room for interpretation and some doubt remains as to exactly which role should be ascribed to the observed clonal heterogeneity in our models of carcinogenesis, it seems obvious that more attention than before ought to be paid to this now well documented fact.
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25
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Abstract
Many important advances have been made in the phenotypic and genetic characterization of malignant tumors since the publication of Peter Nowell's seminal article on the origin of cancer, but there has been no consistent effort to incorporate this wealth of knowledge into a general model of carcinogenesis. Current theoretical discussions on cancer are frequently dominated by attempts to categorize genetic alterations and phenotypic characteristics and establish correspondences between them. In this article, I argue, on the basis of recent data as well as "old" observations, that a developmental error leading to the acquisition of a unique cell character (de-differentiation) underlies all phenotypic characteristics of cancer cells and discuss how this notion can be reconciled with Nowell's model of carcinogenesis as a microevolutionary process into an updated theoretical description of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- L F da Costa
- School of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal.
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26
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Bonsing BA, Corver WE, Fleuren GJ, Cleton-Jansen AM, Devilee P, Cornelisse CJ. Allelotype analysis of flow-sorted breast cancer cells demonstrates genetically related diploid and aneuploid subpopulations in primary tumors and lymph node metastases. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2000; 28:173-83. [PMID: 10825002 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-2264(200006)28:2<173::aid-gcc6>3.0.co;2-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Flow cytometric DNA content measurements have demonstrated extensive DNA ploidy heterogeneity in primary breast carcinomas. However, little is known at the molecular level about the clonal relationship between these tumor cell subpopulations, or about the molecular genetic changes associated with aneuploidization. We have used flow cytometric cell sorting to dissect some of this complexity by isolating clonal subpopulations in breast carcinomas for comparative molecular genetic analysis. Clonal subpopulations were isolated from 12 primary breast carcinomas and 5 lymph node metastases from 4 cases based on DNA content and cytokeratin 8/18 labeling. DNA from these clones was screened for allelic imbalances with 92 polymorphic microsatellite markers mapped to 39 different chromosome arms. Diploid and aneuploid populations were concurrently present in 11 out of 12 primary tumors. The DNA ploidy status of primary tumors was identical to that of the related lymph node metastases. Allelic imbalance was present in 10 out of 11 diploid clones (mean, 3.4 +/- 4.2). All allelic imbalances observed in the diploid clones recurred in the cognate aneuploid clones, but were, in the latter, accompanied by additional allelic imbalances at other loci and/or chromosome arms (mean, 10.9 +/- 5.8). In only two of the four metastatic cases did the allelotypes of metastatic clones show small differences relative to their cognate primary tumors. The primary diploid tumor clone recurred in all lymph node metastases. This study indicates that the majority of allelic imbalances in breast carcinomas are established during generation of DNA ploidy diversity. Recurrence of the allelic imbalances in diploid clones in the aneuploid clones suggests linear tumor progression, whereas the simultaneous presence of early diploid and advanced aneuploid clones in both primary and metastatic tumor sites suggests that acquisition of metastatic propensity can be an early event in the genetic progression of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- B A Bonsing
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
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27
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Adeyinka A, Mertens F, Bondeson L, Garne JP, Borg A, Baldetorp B, Pandis N. Cytogenetic heterogeneity and clonal evolution in synchronous bilateral breast carcinomas and their lymph node metastases from a male patient without any detectable BRCA2 germline mutation. CANCER GENETICS AND CYTOGENETICS 2000; 118:42-7. [PMID: 10731589 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-4608(99)00150-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Two synchronous bilateral breast carcinomas and their matched lymph node metastases from a 70-year-old man were cytogenetically analyzed. All four tumors were near-diploid, and except for the primary tumor from the right breast, had a 45,X,-Y clone in common. The loss of the Y chromosome was, however, common to all four tumors, whereas metaphase cells from peripheral blood lymphocytes showed a normal 46, XY chromosome complement. The primary tumor from the right breast was monoclonal, with loss of the Y chromosome and gain of 1q, whereas its metastasis had two related clones: the 45,X,-Y clone, and the other a more complex version of the clone in the primary tumor, with inv(3), -14, and del(16)(q13) as additional changes. The primary tumor from the left breast was polyclonal with three unrelated clones: 45,X,-Y/45,XY,-18/47,XY,+20, two of which were present in its metastasis. DNA flow cytometric studies showed diploidy for both primary tumors. No mutation in the BRCA2 gene was found on analysis of DNA from peripheral blood lymphocytes. The present findings show that del(16)(q13) is a recurrent finding among male breast carcinomas and that some of the primary cytogenetic abnormalities, as well as the pattern of chromosomal changes during the progression of sporadic breast carcinoma in the male, are similar to those in the female. In addition, the loss of the Y chromosome in the tumors but not in peripheral blood lymphocytes, suggests a possible role for this abnormality in the pathogenesis of male breast carcinoma.
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MESH Headings
- Aged
- Aneuploidy
- BRCA2 Protein
- Breast Neoplasms, Male/genetics
- Breast Neoplasms, Male/pathology
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/genetics
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/pathology
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/secondary
- Chromosome Aberrations/genetics
- Chromosome Deletion
- Clone Cells/metabolism
- Clone Cells/pathology
- Flow Cytometry
- Genetic Predisposition to Disease/genetics
- Germ-Line Mutation/genetics
- Humans
- In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
- Karyotyping
- Lymphatic Metastasis/genetics
- Lymphatic Metastasis/pathology
- Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Male
- Neoplasm Proteins/genetics
- Receptors, Estrogen/analysis
- Transcription Factors/genetics
- Y Chromosome/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- A Adeyinka
- Departments of Clinical Genetics, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
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28
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Bukholm IK, Nesland JM, Børresen-Dale AL. Re-expression of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin and beta-catenin, but not of gamma-catenin, in metastatic tissue from breast cancer patients [seecomments]. J Pathol 2000; 190:15-9. [PMID: 10640987 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9896(200001)190:1<15::aid-path489>3.0.co;2-l] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Tumour cell invasion and metastasis are the processes which kill most cancer patients. Tumour cells with the greatest invasive and metastatic capacity may be those with the highest number of genetic aberrations. The present study has analysed the expression of several tumour-related proteins in both primary tumours and metastatic lesions from 34 breast cancer patients. Protein expression of p53, bcl-2, p21, cyclin D1, E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin, and gamma-catenin was investigated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using monoclonal antibodies. Metastatic tissue showed a different expression profile from the primary tumour in most patients. The most significant finding was the re-expression of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and beta-catenin, and increased down-regulation of gamma-catenin, in metastatic lesions. These results demonstrate that tumour cells, when released from the primary site and after regrowth elsewhere, are capable of re-expression of adhesion molecules. gamma-catenin may play a different role in metastatic lesions than in primary tumours, since it is selectively down-regulated in tumour tissue at the metastatic site.
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Affiliation(s)
- I K Bukholm
- Genetic Department, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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29
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Cornélio DA, Schmid-Braz AT, Cavalli LR, Lima RS, Ribeiro EM, Cavalli IJ. Clonal karyotypic abnormalities in gynecomastia. CANCER GENETICS AND CYTOGENETICS 1999; 115:128-33. [PMID: 10598146 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-4608(99)00090-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Gynecomastia is a benign condition that frequently occurs in the male breast gland; however, the cytogenetic data on this entity are very limited. To our knowledge, three cases have been reported in the literature, and the only one with an abnormal karyotype had a concomitant breast carcinoma. In this study we report clonal chromosomal alterations in a gynecomastia sample without any signs of adjacent malignant tissue. The nonrandom abnormalities observed were a deletion of 12p, monosomies of chromosomes 9, 17, 19, and 20, and the presence of a marker chromosome. Most of these alterations have been previously described in the literature in other breast lesions, including benign and malignant (male and female) tumors, indicating their recurrence and nonrandomness in abnormal processes of the mammary gland.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Cornélio
- Departamento de Genética do Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
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30
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Tsarouha H, Pandis N, Bardi G, Teixeira MR, Andersen JA, Heim S. Karyotypic evolution in breast carcinomas with i(1)(q10) and der(1;16)(q10;p10) as the primary chromosome abnormality. CANCER GENETICS AND CYTOGENETICS 1999; 113:156-61. [PMID: 10484983 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-4608(99)00016-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The pattern of clonal karyotypic evolution in breast carcinomas carrying an i(1q) or a der(1;16)(q10;p10) as the primary chromosome abnormality was assessed in a series of 42 tumors, including 8 described here for the first time, with either or both (3 tumors) of them defining cytogenetic features. Evidence of clonal evolution was seen in somewhat more than half of all cases in both subgroups. The secondarily acquired aberrations appeared to be nonrandom in distribution. This was especially so for structural rearrangements of 11q leading to loss of material from this arm, which were clearly more common in both subgroups than in karyotypically abnormal breast carcinomas in general. Other deviations from random were less certain but seemed to include the frequent occurrence of +20 in tumors with i(1q) and +7 in tumors with der(1;16)(q10;p10). That differences were observed between i(1q) carcinomas and der(1;16)(q10;p10) carcinomas with regard to their patterns of clonal evolution hints that the pathogenetic effect of the primary change in these two situations may be more than the mere gain of an extra copy of 1q.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Tsarouha
- Department of Genetics, Papanikolaou Research Center, Saint Savas Hospital, Athens, Greece
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31
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Adeyinka A, Mertens F, Idvall I, Bondeson L, Ingvar C, Mitelman F, Pandis N. Different patterns of chromosomal imbalances in metastasising and non-metastasising primary breast carcinomas. Int J Cancer 1999; 84:370-5. [PMID: 10404088 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0215(19990820)84:4<370::aid-ijc7>3.0.co;2-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
In an attempt to identify chromosomal abnormalities that may be associated with a metastatic phenotype, we investigated the pattern of chromosomal gains and losses in 66 node-positive and 63 node-negative primary breast carcinomas. For both subgroups of tumours, losses were more common than gains and the losses were most often the result of structural aberrations. The exceptions were the long arm of chromosome 1, and chromosomes 7, 8, 12, 18 and 20, which were more often gained than lost. Node-negative tumours were preferentially characterised by loss of 6q10-21 and loss of 16q, whereas loss of chromosome 18 was significant for node-positive tumours. Other aberrations that tended to be associated with one of the phenotypes, though not statistically significant, were gain of chromosome 18 and loss of chromosome 10 in node-negative tumours, and gain of chromosome 14 and loss of 12p in node-positive tumours. Our data show that there are differences among the genetic lesions present in node-negative and node-positive breast tumours. Int. J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol.) 84:370-375, 1999.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Adeyinka
- Department of Clinical Genetics, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
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32
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Adeyinka A, Mertens F, Idvall I, Bondeson L, Pandis N. Multiple polysomies in breast carcinomas: preferential gain of chromosomes 1, 5, 6, 7, 12, 16, 17, 18, and 19. CANCER GENETICS AND CYTOGENETICS 1999; 111:144-8. [PMID: 10347552 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-4608(98)00233-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Chromosome G-banding analysis of metaphase cells from 16 primary breast carcinomas revealed the presence of multiple polysomies in near-diploid as well as in polyploid cells. Chromosome 17 was preferentially gained in 7 tumors, followed in frequency by chromosomes 1, 12, and 19 (5 tumors each), and chromosomes 5, 6, 7, 16, and 18 (4 tumors each). Eleven of the 16 carcinomas had, apart from the clones exhibiting the numerical gains, other unrelated clones. Nine of these 11 cases had clones with structural chromosome aberrations, 5 of which had structural aberrations involving the short arm of chromosome 3. The biologic significance, if any, of this seemingly nonrandom coexistence of multiple polysomies with structural aberrations of 3p is at present not known. The pattern of numerical chromosome aberrations observed in the present study is comparable to previous results from fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) studies, with the use of centromeric probes on interphase cells. However, unlike FISH studies, which have been focused on chromosomes 1, 3, 7, 8, 11, 16, and 17, the cytogenetic results reveal that other chromosomes also may be nonrandomly gained as part of multiple polysomies in breast carcinomas. In addition, the tumors with multiple polysomies were generally of high histologic grade and with metastasis to axillary lymph nodes, suggesting that multiple wholechromosome gains may be a pathway of genetic evolution or progression or both in some breast carcinomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Adeyinka
- Department of Clinical Genetics, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
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Cytogenetic Approaches to Breast Cancer. Breast Cancer 1999. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-59259-456-6_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Tsuda H, Takarabe T, Fukutomi T, Hirohashi S. der(16)t(1;16)/der(1;16) in breast cancer detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization is an indicator of better patient prognosis. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 1999; 24:72-7. [PMID: 9892111 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-2264(199901)24:1<72::aid-gcc10>3.0.co;2-m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
By two-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), der(16)t(1;16) or der(1;16) was frequently detected in low-grade papillary carcinoma but not in benign intraductal papilloma of the breast. In order to clarify the incidence and clinicopathological significance of der(16)t(1;16)/der(1;16) in common breast cancers, der(16)t(1;16)/der(1;16) was examined by two-color FISH in breast cancers resected from 51 patients by using DNA probes for 16cen, 16q11.2, and 1q12 labeled with biotin or digoxigenin. der(16)t(1;16)/der(1;16) was clonally detected in 16 cancers (31%), being more frequent in ductal carcinomas of lower grade and invasive lobular carcinoma than in high-grade invasive ductal carcinoma (P<0.001). der(16)t(1;16)/der(1;16) was also correlated with a higher amount of hormone receptors in the tumor (P<0.05). Disease-free and overall survival rates of the patient group with der(16)t(1;16)/der(1;16)-positive cancer were higher (88% and 94%) than those of the group with der(16)t(1;16)/der(1; 16)-negative cancer (39% and 68%) (P<0.05). Among the 16 patients with lymph node metastasis who received one of two similar forms of postsurgical adjuvant chemo-endocrine therapy, the prognosis of those with der(16)t(1;16)/der(1;16)-positive cancer was better than that of those with der(16)t(1;16)/der(1;16)-negative cancer (P<0.05). der(16)t(1;16)/der(1;16) detected by FISH is considered helpful in identifying patients with a better prognosis and for stratification of patients in randomized clinical trials of adjuvant chemo-endocrine therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Tsuda
- Pathology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
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Teixeira MR, Pandis N, Dietrich CU, Reed W, Andersen J, Qvist H, Heim S. Chromosome banding analysis of gynecomastias and breast carcinomas in men. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 1998; 23:16-20. [PMID: 9713992 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-2264(199809)23:1<16::aid-gcc3>3.0.co;2-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Male breast cancer is 100 times less frequent than its female counterpart and accounts for less than 1% of all cancers in men. Although men with breast cancer also often have gynecomastia, it is still unknown whether gynecomastia per se predisposes the male breast to malignant disease. We describe the cytogenetic analysis of three gynecomastias and four breast cancers in men. No chromosome abnormalities were detected in two cases of gynecomastia, with no other concomitant breast disease. The third gynecomastia sample, taken from a site where a breast carcinoma had previously been removed, had a t(2;11)(p24;p13) as the sole chromosome change; this is the first time that an abnormal karyotype has been described in gynecomastia. All four cancers had clonal chromosome abnormalities. Several cytogenetically unrelated clones were found in the breast tumor and in a metastasis from case 1. In the carcinoma of case 2, a single abnormal clone was found, characterized by loss of the Y chromosome, monosomy 17, and a deletion of the long arm of chromosome 18. In the carcinoma of case 3, a clone with loss of the Y chromosome as the sole change dominated, accompanied by the gain of an X chromosome in a subclone. In the lymph node metastasis examined from case 4, a single clone carrying trisomies for chromosomes 5 and 16 was detected. Our findings, especially when collated with data on the six karyotypically abnormal breast carcinomas in men described previously, indicate that gain of the X chromosome, gain of chromosome 5, loss of the Y chromosome, loss of chromosome 17, and del(18)(q21) are nonrandom abnormalities in male breast carcinomas.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Breast Neoplasms, Male/genetics
- Chromosome Aberrations
- Chromosome Banding
- Chromosome Disorders
- Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11/genetics
- Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16/genetics
- Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17/genetics
- Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18/genetics
- Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2/genetics
- Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5/genetics
- Gynecomastia/genetics
- Humans
- Karyotyping
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Translocation, Genetic
- X Chromosome/genetics
- Y Chromosome/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Teixeira
- Department of Genetics, The Norwegian Radium Hospital and Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo
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