HIGHLY COMPLEX CHROMOSOMAL-ABERRATIONS IN BONE-MARROW OF A PATIENT WITH METASTATIC PROSTATE NEOPLASM

Prostate cancer is the single most common malignancy among men in Nort h America. Nevertheless, cytogenetic evaluation of bone marrow in pati ents with metastatic prostate neoplasm has been rare and, to date, onl y five such patients have been reported. We report an additional case where chromosomal abnormalities of a bizarre nature rr ere found in th e bone marrow. Though cytogenetic findings in prostate cancer are hete rogeneously complex, the chromosome regions involved include Ip, 1q, 7 q, 8p, 10q, 12p, and 17q and are considered hot spots. What is the sig nificance of these so-called hot spots in metastasis of prostatic canc er to the bone marrow? At present, no meaningful conclusion can be dra wn, as data are limited, but accumulation of such cases may provide va luable information concerning the role of chromosomal abnormalities in patients-specifically with metastatic stage- and may help urologists during therapeutic decision making, particularly if a genetic marker f or aggressiveness can be determined. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc., 1 997.