Cytogenetic studies on carcinoma of the cervix have shown the nonrando
m involvement in structural changes of a number of chromosomes, partic
ularly chromosomes 1, 3, 5, 11, and 17. Apart from chromosome 5, where
a short-arm isochromosome is the commonest derivative, these chromoso
mes most often undergo short-arm deletions. Notably, chromosome 17 may
have undergone structural changes that result in loss of the tumor su
ppressor gene TP53 on 17p; chromosomal translocations may in some tumo
rs perform the function that in others is provided by human papillomav
irus protein complexing with and inactivating this gene. The chromosom
e 1 changes may sometimes result in the duplication of long-arm materi
al. Although there have been few comparable studies on the preinvasive
stages of cancer of the cervix, it is clear from earlier chromosome a
nd quantitative DNA studies that, except perhaps in the ''mild dysplas
ias,'' there already is clonal development that has resulted in an ane
uploid population with a mode that, as in carcinomas, is either in the
diploid or (in 50% or more) triploid-tetraploid range; spindle defect
s are prominent and may result in unequal segregation of the chromosom
es into the daughter cells. Further characterization of the chromosoma
l changes in carcinoma of the cervix, and more particularly its preinv
asive stages, using the new molecular DNA techniques is eagerly awaite
d. (C) Elsevier Science Inc., 1997.