Nonrandom chromosome changes in carcinoma of the cervix uteri. I. Nine near-diploid tumors.

Chromosome analysis of G- and C-banded preparations of tumor material, processed by a direct method, from nine primary carcinomas of the cervix with modal chromosome numbers in the range 41-49 showed the nonrandom involvement of certain chromosomes in structural and numerical changes. Besides chromosome No. 1 (six tumors), structural changes involved chromosomes No. 11 (five tumors with variable breakpoints and translocation partners), No. 3 (three tumors) No. 6 (three tumors), and No. 17 (17p+ in two tumors). A small metacentric (present in duplicate in most metaphases of one tumor), which may have been a 5q- (?) (with an interstitial long arm deletion), was seen in five tumors. Additional normal chromosomes included chromosomes No. 1 (one tumor without structural changes in this chromosome showing trisomy 1) and No. 3 (four tumors showing trisomy in the absence of structural changes involving this chromosome). Losses commonly affected the B, D, and G groups, particularly chromosomes No. 13 (three tumors) and No. 21 (six tumors), as well as chromosome No. 18 (four tumors). Two X chromosomes were present in all tumors except the two with the lowest modal numbers, both of which lacked an X chromosome.