[Comparative genomic hybridization of bronchial carcinomas and their metastases]

We analysed 150 carcinomas of the respiratory tract and their metastases by Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH), a screening method for the detection of chromosomal imbalances in solid tumors. Small cell lung carcinomas (SCLC) and non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) revealed characteristic patterns of chromosomal alterations with overlapping and specific lesions in both tumor groups. SCLC were defined by a pattern of deletions on chromosomes 3p, 4q, 5q, 10q, 13q and 17p along with overrepresentations of chromosomes 3q and 5p. In contrast, NSCLC carried frequently deletions on chromosomes 1p, 3p, 4q, 5q, 6q, 8p, 9p, 13q, 18q and 21q along with overrepresentations of chromosomes 5p and 11q13. The deletions of the chromosomal band 2q36-q37 together with amplifications of chromosome 3q were statistically significant lesions of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) whereas adenocarcinomas were characterized in particular by the overrepresentation of chromosome 1q23 and the deletion on chromosome 9q22. The comparison of primary and metastatic tumors revealed that the deletion of chromosome 10q was a statistically significant marker of tumor progression and metastatic phenotype in SCC and SCLC. In conclusion, the data indicate that tumor histotypes and phenotypes are associated with patterns of chromosomal alterations which give important additional information for the classification of human lung carcinomas.