[Chromosome analysis and genetic testing]

Chromosomal and genetic tests are essential to establish correct diagnoses of the lymphoma. When the tissue examination is planned, these should be done simultaneously with the morphological and immunophenotypic evaluations. Chromosome analyses can identify the genomic alterations of tumor cells. Some chromosome abnormalities define disease subtypes. For example, recurrent 14q32 translocations involving the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus support the diagnosis of B-cell lymphoma, and their translocation partners identify the types. In contrast, genetic testings are performed to confirm the presence of certain abnormalities including gene rearrangements, mutations, amplifications and deletions in each case. These results provide us detailed information for diagnosis, prognosis, and choice of therapy.