INVOLVEMENT OF CHROMOSOME-6 IN ENDOMETRIAL CANCER

Cytogenetic investigation was performed on direct preparations of 15 e ndometrial cancers showing different histotypes, Clonal abnormalities were found in 11 out of 13 analysable cases. The modal chromosome numb er was near diploid in all cases. The abnormal karyotypes contained re latively simple numerical or structural aberrations in the majority of tumours. In contrast, two neoplasms with serous papillary and mixed m ullerian morphological features shared multiple complex changes as wel l as cytogenetic evidence of intratumoral heterogeneity. The most freq uent chromosome abnormality in our series of endometrial neoplasms was 6q deletion, which was detected in serous papillary, endometrioid and mixed mullerian tumours. The loss of the 6q region, which is also fre quently involved in ovarian carcinoma, suggests a relationship between endometrial and ovarian cancers based on a common histogenesis.