GENETIC-ANALYSIS OF BENIGN, LOW-GRADE, AND HIGH-GRADE OVARIAN-TUMORS

Genetic abnormalities were assessed in 56 benign, low-, and high-grade ovarian tumors using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and anal ysis of loss of heterozygosity (LOH). In addition, 95 epithelial tumor s were analyzed for microsatellite repeat instability, DNA sequence co py number abnormalities (CNAs) were not detected in the benign tumors, and more were detected in high-grade than in low-grade cancers. Almos t no microsatellite repeat instability was detected in these cancers, CNAs occurring in more than 30% of the cancers included increased copy number on 3q25-26 and 8q24 and reduced copy number on 16q and 17pter- q21, Another 14 CNAs occurred in more than 20% of the cancers, Increas ed copy number at 3q25-26 and 20q13 was the most frequent CNA in low-g rade tumors, and increased copy number at 8q24 occurred preferentially in high-grade tumors, The presence of a large number of CNAs per tumo r was significantly correlated with reduced patient survival duration, Reduced copy number on 17pter-q21 was most strongly associated with a ccumulation of a large number of CNAs. The overall concordance between LOH and reduced copy number detected by CGH was 84%, but only 31% of the LOH was associated with reduced copy number detected using CGH.