CHROMOSOMES AND CAUSATION OF HUMAN CANCER AND LEUKEMIA .43. SPECIFIC CYTOGENETIC CHANGES IN OVARIAN-CANCER INVOLVING CHROMOSOME-6 AND CHROMOSOME-14

Abstract

Cytogenetic studies were performed in 12 papillary serous adenocarcinomas of the [human] ovary. Of the more than 19 clonal structural chromosome abnormalities observed in these cancers, 6q- and 14q+ were the most frequent. Both markers coexisted in the cells of 8 cases; in the other 4 cases, either marker was present. In at least 6 cases, the additional segment on the long arm of chromosome 14 appeared to originate, on the basis of the chromosomal quantity and fluorescence pattern, from the missing part of chromosome 6. The 6q- and 14q+ markers may have arisen as a result of a reciprocal translocation at bands q21 and q24, respectively, i.e., t(6;14)(q21;q24). It is uncertain in the remaining 6 cases whether an identical type of translocation was responsible for the formation of the markers. Abnormalities involving chromosomes 6 and 14 seem to be specifically associated with papillary serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary.