title: Multi-target interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization assay increases sensitivity of sputum cytology as a predictor of lung cancer.
abstract: Survival rates for lung cancer are low because patients have disseminated disease at diagnosis; therefore tests for early diagnosis are highly desirable. This pilot study investigated occurrence of chromosomal aneusomy in sputum from a 33 case-control cohort matched on age, gender, and date of sample collection. Subjects had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and > or = 30 pack-years of tobacco use, and aneusomy was tested using a multi-target DNA FISH assay (LAVysion, Abbott/Vysis). In specimens collected within 12 months of lung cancer diagnosis, abnormality was more frequent among the 18 cases (41%) than the 17 controls (6%; P = 0.04). Aneusomy had no significant association with cytologic atypia, which might indicate that molecular and morphological changes could be independent markers of tumorigenesis. Combining both tests, abnormality was found in 83% of the cases and 20% of the controls (P = 0.0004) suggesting that FISH may improve the sensitivity of cytologic atypia as a predictor of lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Cancer Center, Campus Box B188, Denver 80262, USA. marileila.garcia@uchsc.edu
authors.forename: Marileila
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varella-Garcia
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kittelson
authors.forename: Aline P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Schulte
authors.forename: Kieu O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Vu
authors.forename: Holly J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Chan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Fred R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Byers
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: York E
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Keith
authors.forename: Wilbur A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Franklin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D043171:Chromosomal Instability; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013183:Sputum