Molecular cytometry of cancer

The application of molecular probes to diagnosis and prognosis of malignancies has redefined our perceptions of disease, allowing diagnosis by genotypic rather than phenotypic criteria. DNA analysis is especially useful when applied to pathological material in situ, because this allows the pathologist to combine information from both morphological and molecular observations. DNA in situ hybridization is a useful approach for the molecular pathologist, especially when combined with cytometric analysis. Potential clinical applications for in situ hybridization and the recently described technique of comparative genomic hybridization in tumor diagnosis and prognosis are described.