title: Immortalization in culture: occurrence at a late stage in the progression of breast cancer.
abstract: The properties in culture of 3 breast cancer effusion metastases, obtained over approximately 2 years from the same patient, were examined. Despite repeated attempts with cryopreserved cells, only the last specimen reproducibly exhibited immortality in culture; the first 2 specimens grew initially but failed to develop into cell lines. Each specimen was unique in morphology and growth properties, although karyotypic markers indicated a common origin. Aberrations of chromosomes 1 and 11 marked these near-diploid cells, and further structural alterations of chromosome 11 accompanied the transition of biological properties observed in the third specimen.
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Wolman
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Dairkee
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hancock
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lippman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leff
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hackett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002878:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1; D002880:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude