COMPARATIVE GENOMIC HYBRIDIZATION DETECTS NOVEL DELETIONS AND AMPLIFICATIONS IN HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMAS

To gain a better understanding of genetic changes in squamous cell car cinomas of the head and neck we used comparative genomic hybridization for the analysis of 13 primary tumors. Copy number increases were mos t frequently observed on chromosomes 3q (10 cases) and 5p (8 cases) an d less frequently on 1q (4 cases), 2 (1 case), 7 (2 cases), 8q (2 case s), 9 (1 case), 10p (2 cases), 13q (2 cases), 14q (1 case), 16 (1 case ), 17 (2 cases), 20p (2 cases), 21q (1 case) and 22q (1 case). Copy nu mber decreases occurred most frequently at 3p (5 cases), 5q (4 cases), 19p (6 cases), and 19q (5 cases). Copy number decreases also were obs erved on 1p (2 cases), 2q (2 cases), 4p (2 cases), 4q (2 cases), 7q (2 cases), 8p (1 case), 10q (1 case), 11p (2 cases), 11q (3 cases), 13q (3 cases), 14q (1 case), 16p (1 case), 17p (3 cases), 17q (1 case), 18 q (1 case), and 22 (2 cases). Eight sites exhibiting significant seque nce amplification were mapped to 3q26-->qter (3 cases), 11q13 (2 cases ), 12p (2 cases), 2q33-36 (1 case), 7q21-22 (1 case), 7q33-->qter (1 c ase), 9p (1 case), and 13q32-->qter (1 case). Our data suggest that th e regions 3q26-->qter and 5p mag harbor oncogenes important for initia tion or progression of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. In addition, comparative genomic hybridization defines a subgroup of t umors with 11q13 involvement, the location of the PRAD1/(CCND1/cyclin D1 gene.