title: Patterns of Chromosomal Aberrations in Solid Tumors.
abstract: Chromosomal abnormalities are a defining feature of solid tumors. Such cytogenetic alterations are mainly classified into structural chromosomal aberrations and copy number alterations, giving rise to aneuploid karyotypes. The increasing detection of these genetic changes allowed the description of specific tumor entities and the associated patterns of gene expression. In fact, tumor-specific landscapes of gross genomic copy number changes, including aneuploidies of entire chromosome arms and chromosomes result in a global deregulation of the transcriptome of cancer cells. Furthermore, the molecular characterization of cytogenetic abnormalities has provided insights into the mechanisms of tumorigenesis and has, in a few instances, led to the clinical implementation of effective diagnostic and prognostic tools, as well as treatment strategies that target a specific genetic abnormality.
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grade
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Difilippantonio
authors.affiliation: Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. jcamps@clinic.ub.es.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Camps
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D005784:Gene Amplification; D018628:Gene Dosage; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
keywords: Chromosomal aberrations; Colorectal cancer; Copy number alterations; Gene expression; Genomic imbalances; Molecular cytogenetic; Ploidy; Solid tumors