Nonrandom chromosomal numerical abnormality predicting prognosis of gastric cancer: a retrospective study of 51 cases using pathology archives.

ABSTRACT

Chromosomal or centromerical numerical abnormality (CNA) is a well-known characteristic of human cancer, but the extensive and specific documentation of CNA in gastric cancer is still sparse, partly because of difficulty in obtaining cytogenetic information. Taking advantage of a recently developed fluorescence in situ hybridization protocol for formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, we investigated CNA of 51 gastric cancer cases with a panel of 18 chromosome-specific alpha-satellite probes (for chromosomes 1-4, 6-12, 15-18, 20, X and Y) and region specific probes (c-myc and p53) to enumerate respective chromosome numbers in interphase nuclei. The involved chromosomes exhibiting CNA were nonrandom in gastric cancer. Aberrations of chromosomes 1, 8, 17, 20, and X were frequent regardless of histologic types, whereas aberrations chromosomes 10, 15, and 18 occurred less often (p < 0.001). From a histopathologic standpoint, the mucocellular type had stable CNA in comparison with the tubular type (mucocellular type vs tubular type carcinoma 21.0 +/- 10.63% vs 62.8 +/- 12.79%, p < 0.001). Interestingly, there was less extensive CNA in women (men vs women 54.3 +/- 9.49% versus 24.9 +/- 12.23%, p < 0.001). A dramatic difference in the outcome was detected according to the involvement of chromosomes 3, 10, 11, 12, 17, and Y; that is, the cases with CNA of these chromosomes had worse prognosis.