title: Cancer chromosomes in crisis.
abstract: The benign-to-malignant transition in human breast cancer is associated with a marked increase in chromosomal aberrations. A new study suggests that telomere dysfunction and its associated bridge-fusion-breakage cycles may drive this episodic instability, thereby providing aspiring cancer cells with the multiple genetic aberrations needed to achieve a fully malignant state.
authors.forename: Ronald A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: DePinho
authors.forename: Kornelia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Polyak
mesh_terms: D000782:Aneuploidy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D043171:Chromosomal Instability; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D016615:Telomere