Technical advances in the cytogenetic analysis of malignant tissues

Successful cytogenetic analysis of malignant tissues using conventional techniques depends upon the presence of viable, dividing malignant cells in the sample, and the ability to obtain metaphase cells with good-quality chromosome banding. Even when these necessary conditions are met, many tumors have complex karyotypes that may be difficult to define completely or have subtle chromosomal abnormalities that are difficult to detect. Overall, determination of the karyotype of a malignant tissue is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, and for some tumors, is associated with a significant technical failure rate. A number of new methods, which are reviewed in this article, have been developed recently that potentially will improve the speed, accuracy, and success rate of cytogenetic analysis of malignant tissues.