MICROSATELLITE INSTABILITY IN IN-SITU AND INVASIVE SPORADIC BREAST CANCERS OF JAPANESE WOMEN

We studied the timing of microsatellite instability (referred to as re plication error; RER) presentation during human breast carcinogenesis using tissue microdissected from both in situ and invasive breast canc ers of Japanese women. We analyzed 100 breast cancer specimens for RER at nine genomic loci on seven chromosomes. Eight of the 100 cases (8% ) were RER-positive at one or more chromosomal loci. Additionally; we obtained genomic DNA from two of four RER-positive patients with an in traductal component, both of which showed microsatellite instability i n in situ foci. This finding indicates that microsatellite instability may be an early event during human breast carcinogenesis.