Chromosome changes in 43 carcinomas of the cervix uteri.

A summary of the chromosome changes in 43 carcinomas of the cervix studied by a direct technique showed that the most common anomaly was a small metacentric [in 77%, often in two copies: an i(5p) or possibly an i(4p)]. Others commonly involved in structural changes were: chromosome 1 (60%; most commonly an i(1q), 1p-, or translocation of part of 1q onto another chromosome); chromosome 17 (47%; translocations onto the short arm or long-arm isochromosomes), chromosome 11 (37%; translocations onto the short arm); chromosome 3 (26%; including 3p- and 31-); and chromosomes 2, 6, and 9 (each in 19%). Considering the four most frequent categories of markers--small metacentrics and markers derived from chromosomes 1, 17, and 11, none of which is specific for cervical carcinoma--almost any combination of these four might be present in a tumor (and at least one was present in all tumors) so that they were not mutually exclusive. Estimates of the average numbers of normal chromosomes based on representative karyotypes from 35 of the tumors showed that three chromosomes in particular were underrepresented (chromosomes 4, 11, and 14; 72-73% of the expected values), while chromosomes 3, 19, and 20 were those most highly represented (99-103%).