Cytogenetics of carcinoma of the endometrium. I. The study on ploidy.

98 patients suffering from carcinoma of the endometrium were cytogenetically examined with positive results in 31 cases. The majority of positive cytogenetic examinations of tumors showed hypodiploid stemlines with most frequently appearing modal number 44 chromosomes. Polyploid stemline was observed in 9 and in 2 cases. In the group of 20 well-differentiated carcinomas of the endometrium, 17 tumors hypodiploid and out of 9 poorly-differentiated carcinomas, 7 exhibited stemlines in the polyploid region. It is presumed that cytogenetic development of carcinoma of he endometrium leads from a diploid cell to a hypodiploid one and is terminated by the outgrowth of polyploid cell clones.