Chromosome alterations in cancer development and apoptosis.

Normal somatic cells are programmed to die (or undergo apoptosis) whereas cancer cells program themselves to survive. Some of the cytogenetic alterations that might be involved in apoptosis and continuous cell proliferation of normal and cancer cells such as shortening of telomeres, formation of dicentric chromosomes, transfer of telomeric DNA to the homologous chromosomes, malfunction (inactivation) of the centromeres, endoreduplication of chromosomes and other structural and numerical chromosome abnormalities are discussed here.