CHROMOSOME CHANGES IN A METASTASIS OF A CHROMOPHOBE RENAL-CELL TUMOR

Metastatic disease is a well-known complicating factor in the treatmen t of renal cell cancer. Whereas radical nephrectomy usually is curativ e in cases of localized disease, no adequate treatment has been establ ished for metastatic renal tumors. Identification of specific chromoso me changes or genes responsible for metastatic behavior may lead to ne w strategies of treatment in the future. In light of this, we cytogene tically analyzed a metastasis of a chromophobe renal cell carcinoma ar ising in a 73-year-old male and compared the results with genetic data on primary chromophobe renal tumors. The chromosomal pattern of the p resent case showed, next to the extensive chromosome losses specific f or the chromophobe subtype, structural rearrangements involving chromo somes 1, 5, 12, 15, and 18. Determining whether or not (some of) the o bserved structural changes are important for the metastatic behavior o f chromophobe renal cell tumors will have to await further genetic stu dies on metastases of renal cancer. (C) Elsevier Science Inc., 1998.