Chromosome studies in myelomatosis

Cytogenetic studies of patients with multiple myeloma and plasma cell leukemia have shown that chromosome abnormalities occur in the bone marrow and/or the PHA-stimulated blood of at least half the patients. The abnormalities include numerical and structural aberrations and are highly variable. Hypodiploid modes occur fairly frequently. Addition of material to the long arm of the No. 14 chromosome (14q+ marker) occurs in about 17% of the small series of patients that have been studied with banding so far.