Chromosomes of Twenty Cancer Effusions: Correlation of Karyotypic, Clinical, and Pathologic Aspects2

Abstract

The detailed chromosome constitution was determined in 20 effusions from cancer patients to try to establish karyotypic criteria for the evaluation of the material studied. All effusions were characterized by an abnormal modal number of chromosomes, ranging from 39 to 133, with no particular number more prevalent or specific for any particular tumor. In 16 effusions “new” marker chromosomes were present, but their origin could not be traced with certainty. Every effusion had a karyotype that was relatively stable over long periods but was different from that of any other effusion studied. Therapy did not appear to influence the karyotype of the effusion cells. There was no correlation between the grade of malignancy of a tumor and the karyotypic findings: modal and chromosome numbers, presence or absence of markers. The data indicate that cancer effusion cells can generate many karyotypes, and the potential significance of the genotypic changes will have to await the collection of more data. The karyotypic changes in effusion cells may not reflect those present in the original tumor.