Interphase cytogenetics of chromosomes 11 and 17 in fine needle aspirates of breast cancer

• Published in: Human pathology Vol. 30; no. 2; pp. 137 - 144
• Main Authors: McManus, Damian T, Patterson, Anna H, Maxwell, Perry, Hamilton, Peter W, Anderson, Neil H, Caughley, Linda M, Toner, Peter G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.02.1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsy, Needle; breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - genetics; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; chromosomes 11 and 17; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17; DNA - analysis; Evaluation Studies as Topic; fine needle aspirates; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Interphase; interphase cytogenetics; Mammary gland diseases; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; tumor grading; Tumors; chromosomes 11 and 17; SSC; tumor grading; interphase cytogenetics; fine needle aspirates; FISH; FNA; breast cancer; Chromosomal aberration; Histological grading; Human; Carcinoma; Prognosis; Interphase; Malignant tumor; Aspiration punction; Mammary gland diseases; Pathology; Fine needle; Fluorescence in situ hybridization; Chromosome 11; Cytogenetics; Predictive value; Cytopathology; Diagnosis; Mammary gland; Chromosome 17
• ISSN: 0046-8177; 1532-8392
• DOI: 10.1016/S0046-8177(99)90267-8

The aims of this investigation were to compare quantitative with qualitative analysis of fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) centromere signals in interphase breast cancer cell nuclei and to evaluate the possible clinical utility of detecting numerical abnormalities of chromosomes 11 and 17 by FISH in the preoperative prediction of breast cancer histological grade. Commercial digoxigenin-labeled centromere probes to chromosomes 11 and 17 were hybridized to 69 malignant aspirates with histological follow-up. Aspirates were categorized as disomic or aneusomic for chromosomes 11 and 17 qualitatively; a subset of aspirates was also analyzed quantitatively. The quantitative and qualitative approaches resulted in almost identical categorisation. There was a significant association between the qualitative categorization of aspirates as aneusomic or disomic, the histological grade of the excised tumours ( P = .0695, n = 69), and the cytological grade of the clinical aspirates ( P = .006, n = 35). Although histological grade III tumors were almost invariably polysomic for one or both chromosomes, polysomy was also detected in grade I and II tumors. Qualitative FISH analysis was shown to be more sensitive than cytological grading in predicting histological grade III but was of lower specificity and was therefore not clinically useful.