COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF CHROMOSOME-ABERRATIONS INDUCED WITH APHIDICOLIN IN WOMEN AFFECTED BY BREAST-CANCER AND CERVIX UTERINE-CANCER

Blood samples were obtained from 80 women: Twenty of these samples wer e from women affected by ductal infiltrating breast carcinoma, twenty from women affected by cervix uterine cancer, and forty individuals we re screened for a control group. The search for chromosome instability that is known to affect individuals with cancer was performed through chromosome analysis in nontumor cells, intending to establish frequen cy and different types of numerical and structural aberrations. The re sults, in regard to spontaneous and aphidicolin induced chromosome abe rrations, showed a significantly greater frequency (p < 0.001) of chro mosome fragility, as well as other numerical and structural aberration s in breast cancer patients when compared to She control group. Simila r results were obtained from cervix uterine cancer patients with the e xception of certain numerical aberrations in which no significant diff erences were found. This suggests the existence of a certain degree of chromosomal instability affecting individuals with both types of canc er. The increase in fragility may play an important role in the biolog ic behavior and progression of cancer. (C) Elsevier Science Inc., 1997 .