Chromosomes and causation of human cancer and leukemia. XX. Banding patterns of primary tumors.

Banding techniques were used in the study of the chromosomes of primary tumors from 16 patients with various types of cancer. The initial analysis with conventional Giemsa staining revealed chromosome abnormalities in 13 of the 16 tumors. Eleven of these 13 tumors and 2 of the 3 with normal karyotypes were reexamined with Q-, G-, and C-banding techniques: The 2 tumors were conventionally stained normal karyotypes were found to have no abnormalities. Nine of the tumors wre characterized by numerical changes only and 4 by both numerical and structural abnormalities. In 11 tumors, excessive chromosomes, identified with banding techniques, were usually found in the following groups (number of tumors involved is shown in parentheses): No. 5 (5), No. 8 (6), No. 11 (5), no. 13 (5), and No. 21 (5). The primary tumors examined had hyperdiploid modes; only 4 of these tumors contained marker chromosomes, as opposed to the high frequency of markers in metastatic cancer cells and the presence, usually, of high polidy (near-triploidy or near-tetraploidy). The data suggested that the karyotypic changes in primary cancers consist primarily of numerical changes (hyperploidy), rather infrequent appearance of marker chromosomes, and, when present, only 1 or 2 markers.