Cytogenetic differences in breast cancer samples between German and Japanese patients.
BACKGROUND
Japanese and German breast cancer cases differ substantially in the frequency of egfr amplification.


OBJECTIVE
To unravel further the cytogenetic differences between Japanese and German breast cancer cases.


METHODS
Forty one Japanese breast cancer cases were evaluated by means of comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH). The results were compared with the CGH results from 161 German breast cancer cases.


RESULTS
The mean number of genetic alterations/case was significantly higher in German premenopausal patients with breast cancer than in their Japanese counterparts. Japanese breast cancer cases revealed a higher number of chromosome 17p losses. Losses of 8p were associated with oestrogen receptor (ER) negativity in Japanese patients with breast cancer, whereas in the German patients gains of 3q and 6q were associated with the lack of ER expression.


CONCLUSIONS
The interethnic differences of invasive breast cancer are reflected by cytogenetic aberrations, which are also associated with the differential expression of the ER.
Packeisen
J
J
Institute of Pathology, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany.
Nakachi
K
K
Boecker
W
W
Brandt
B
B
Buerger
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D017697:Premenopause; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*
D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen