Specific chromosome anomalies and predisposition to human breast, renal cell, and colorectal carcinoma.

Specific chromosome abnormalities in three human solid tumors of adulthood--renal cell carcinoma, breast tumor, and colon carcinoma--are described. Two of the neoplasms are associated with a reciprocal translocation involving chromosome #3 (breakpoint at band p13-14 with 6, 8, 11, and 16) in renal cell carcinomas and chromosome #1 (breakpoint at band q21 with chromosomes #3, #5, #10, #11, and #12) in breast carcinomas. Most of these chromosomal rearrangements have been seen as tumor-specific acquired changes in tumor cells, as well as some constitutionally present in normal tissues of patients. In a limited number of colorectal carcinoma samples a deletion in the short arm of a chromosome #12 is implicated as a specific abnormality. The expression of fragile sites in these specific chromosomal regions in the normal peripheral blood cultures might identify an individual predisposed to develop a particular type of neoplasm.