Chromosome abnormalities of gastric cancer detected in cancerous effusions.

The chromosomes were examined in cancerous effusions obtained from 7 patients with gastric cancer. In 1 patient, the modal chromosome number was 46 with a normal chromosome complement in the majority of the cells examined. The other 6 patients revealed numerical and structural aberrations. Among the structural rearrangements detected, chromosome 3 was involved in the short arm and in the long arm, each in three patients; bands p25, q21, q23, and q27 were recurrently involved and a band q23 was lost in 3 patients. Rearrangements of chromosome 5 in the long arm and of chromosome 17 at or near the centromere were also observed in three patients each. Gains of chromosome 7 was seen in 5 patients and of chromosome 13 in 4. Some of these alterations may be specific for gastric cancer.