Characteristic chromosome abnormalities and karyotype profiles in soft tissue tumors.

Characteristic chromosome abnormalities and karyotype profiles are emerging for the soft tissue tumors. The notable findings are summarized in the Table 1. Within the broad range of solid tumors, it is certainly the soft tissue tumors in which the most spectacular success has occurred with regard to neoplasia-associated chromosome abnormalities. Cytogenetic studies of soft tissue tumors have been encouraged by the early and growing supporting interest of pathologists and clinicians concerned with soft tissue tumors. However, when one considers the variety of types and subtypes of benign and malignant soft tissue tumors, the number that has been so far characterized by a specific chromosome change is still very small. But, as we attempt to demonstrate in this report, these data should be viewed as paradigms for the importance of cytogenetic investigations in solid tumors. Cytogenetic studies of solid tumors are of more than clinical interest. Cytogenetic studies allow molecular investigations of the chromosomal breakpoints. They allow the search to proceed for genes involved in the chromosomal changes, providing a better knowledge of the malignant transformation process. In addition, the fruits of the combined efforts in cytogenetic and molecular technologies, from which has come "molecular cytogenetics," will let us recognize more conveniently, more quickly and, hopefully, less expensively the well-characterized diagnostic chromosome markers in tumor cells. Thus, we may be able to reach the goal of incorporating cytogenetics into standard diagnostic procedures for solid tumors, as has been achieved with hematological malignancies. Molecular cytogenetics including fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) technology promises to bring soft tissue tumor cytogenetics into regular diagnostic armamentaria and concurrently speed research into the basis of soft tissue tumors.