Chromosome Studies in Leukemia

Abstract

THE idea that a malignant process might be related to a breakdown of mitotic control, leading to aberrant chromosomal constitution of neoplastic cells, was suggested by Boveri¹ in his classic studies on sea-urchin eggs in 1914. The accumulation of cytogenetic data needed to test this concept had to await the development of modern cytogenetic methods in the second half of the century. Leukemia is especially suitable for chromosome analysis because, unlike solid neoplasms, which require prolonged culturing under conditions conducive to in vitro alterations of karyotypes, the affected system consists of free cells that can be readily studied by direct . . .