Eight cell lines newly established from glioblastoma multiforme were examined by comparative genomic hybridization for their patterns of genomic imbalance. The total number of DNA copy number alterations (CNAs) found in the eight cell lines varied between 15 and 24. This characterized the examined cell lines (or the tumors they were derived from) as distinctly progressed in karyotypic evolution. The most frequent CNAs were gains of the entire chromosome 6 or, at least, parts of it, and of 7p22, which were found in all eight cell lines. Other changes present in seven of the eight cell lines were gains of 3q26qter and the entire chromosome 7 and losses of segments on chromosome 4q (e.g., 4q34q35) and of the short arm of chromosome 10. Enh(3q21q25), dim(4q22q33) and dim(4qter), dim(13q22), enh(15q14), and enh(18q22q23) were found in six of the eight cell lines. Several other CNAs [e.g., dim(9p21)] were found in common in five or less of the eight lines. Using a hierarchical cluster analysis, the specific patterns of genomic imbalance allowed various groupings of the examined cell lines. Although a close relation could be confirmed among all examined lines on the basis of shared CNAs, two main groups could be roughly differentiated. Among those there were also more or less closely related subgroups. However, also alterations which were restricted to one single cell line each were found, e.g., dim(1q41qter), dim(2q22qter), enh(4p), dim(5p), dim(4p13pter), dim(8q21qter), enh(9p), dim(9q), dim(11p14pter), enh(12q15q23), enh(13q21), dim(14q21qter), dim(15q21qter), dim(19q), and enh(22q). The comparison of the obtained data on gains and losses of DNA copy numbers in specific chromosomal segments with the data on localization of genes possibly associated with the biology of glioblastoma multiforme additionally shows high conformity but also disparity of the examined cell lines among each other, as well as compared to primary glioblastoma multiforme. Eventually, each of the cell lines could be characterized by its specific pattern of genomic imbalance.