USE OF FLUORESCENCE IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION AND COMPARATIVE GENOMIC HYBRIDIZATION IN THE CYTOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF TESTICULAR GERM-CELL TUMORS AND UVEAL MELANOMAS

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with specific DNA probes and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) are molecular cytogenetic met hods that provide powerful supplementations of classical cancer cytoge netics. We present two examples of successful application of these new techniques in solid tumors in which basic information about specific cytogenetic aberrations had been gained previously by conventional kar yotyping. In the first, testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT), FISH analy sis allowed further characterization of the i(12p) marker chromosome. By CGH, chromosomal subregions that may harbor genes important for tum origenesis or progression could be identified. In the second, uveal me lanoma, CGH enabled a retrospective study in which monosomy 3 was stat istically proved to be a relevant marker for poor prognosis. (C) Elsev ier Science Inc., 1997.