title: Genomic mechanisms and measurement of structural and numerical instability in cancer cells.
abstract: The progression to cancer is often associated with instability and the acquisition of genomic heterogeneity, generating both clonal and non-clonal populations. Chromosomal instability (CIN) describes the excessive rate of numerical and structural genomic change in tumors. Mitotic segregation errors strongly influences copy number, while structural aberrations can occur at unstable genomic regions, or through aberrant DNA repair or methylation. Combined molecular cytogenetic analyses can evaluate cell-to-cell variation, and define the complexity of numerical and structural alterations. Because structural change may occur independently of numerical alteration, we propose the term structural chromosomal instability [(S)-CIN] to distinguish numerical from structural CIN.
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Molecular Oncology, Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network, 610 University Avenue, Room 9-717, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2M9. jane.bayani@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bayani
authors.forename: Shamini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Selvarajah
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maire
authors.forename: Bisera
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vukovic
authors.forename: Khaldoun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Al-Romaih
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zielenska
authors.forename: Jeremy A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Squire
mesh_terms: D020087:Alu Elements; D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D043171:Chromosomal Instability; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003582:Cytogenetics; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004260:DNA Repair; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008938:Mitosis; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism