Translocation (12;14) and other chromosome abnormalities in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.

Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has an increasing incidence, a high morbidity rate, and a 50% 5-year survival rate. The prognosis of tongue SCC is poor compared to SCC originating at other sites in the oral cavity, because they represent different biological subentities. Cytogenetic studies of head and neck SCC showed more losses than gains of various chromosomes or chromosomal segments. Among the frequent alterations there are losses of -4, -10, -13, -14, -18, -19, -21, -22, gains of +7, +8, +9, +16, +18, +20, and isochromosomes i(1q), i(3q), i(5p), i(8q). We are unaware of cytogenetic reports describing t(12;14) in tongue SCC. This is a cytogenetic study of SCC of the tongue. Tongue biopsy tissue was minced and cultured in RPMI-1640 medium. Cells were fixed and stained, and cytogenetic analysis performed according to standard procedures. A clone with t(12;14) along with other random numerical chromosomal changes was found in a case of tongue SCC. The significance of t(12;14) in diagnosis or prognosis is not clear and should be further examined. Karyotyping of more tongue SCC cases will expand the knowledge regarding chromosomal aberrations in SCC and thus might shed light on the significance of t(12;14) shown in this study.