Sister chromatid exchanges in leukocytes of patients with cancer of cervix uteri.

The frequency of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) was investigated in 13 women with cervical cancer together with 11 control women. The SCE frequencies were found to be 10.05 +/- 2.35 and 6.95 +/- 1.53 in cancer cases and controls, respectively. The SCE values of cancer cases deviate significantly from that of controls. The SCE in chromosome groups E, F, and G was found to be more in comparison to controls (P less than 0.001). This preliminary study indicates the possibility of using SCE as a preclinical marker.