Nonreciprocal chromosome translocation t(5;14) in cancers of the kidney: adenocarcinoma of the renal parenchyma and transitional cell carcinoma of the kidney pelvis.

Chromosome studies were done on an adenocarcinoma of the kidney and a transitional cell carcinoma of the kidney. The adenocarcinoma was in the renal parenchyma, whereas the transitional cell carcinoma was in the kidney pelvis. The adenocarcinoma was moderately well differentiated, and the transitional cell tumor was poorly differentiated. The adenocarcinoma was hypotetraploid, with 69-75 chromosomes per cell, and the transitional cell carcinoma was pseudodiploid, with 46 chromosomes. Both tumors showed a nonreciprocal t(5;14) translocation that resulted in a 5q- and a 14q+ chromosome with loss of 14q material. The breakpoints were in bands 5q13 and 14q22. Both tumors also contained an extra 5q- chromosome. The oncogene c-fms is normally situated in band 5q34 and so may have been translocated onto 14q, although whether it has been activated is conjectural. The t(5;14) translocation may be another tissue-specific cancer chromosome change.