[Chromosome damage in the course of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma]

The aim of the article is a review of own cytogenic studies on laryngeal cancer confronted with the literature data. Spontaneous and bleomycin-induced chromosome instability was analysed in peripheral blood lymphocytes in relation to genetic risk of cancer incidence and progression. Comparative genome hybridization (CGH) was applied to demonstrate gains and losses of DNA copy number in tumour and non-tumour laryngeal mucosa. The profiles of imbalances of DNA copy number were shown to differ between metastazing and non-metastazing tumours. Preliminary data indicate a frequent loss of Y chromosome in tumour cells. The loss of heterozygosity at chromosome p53 locus (17p) has been shown to be more frequent than at chromosome locus coding 16 gene (9p). Altogether, the experiments have proven that a dynamics of chromosome aberrations is highest at the stage of metastasis.