Abstract
Cytogenetic analysis was performed on short-term cell cultures of two foci (A and B) from each of three multifocal breast carcinomas. In case I, four clones (three related and one unrelated) were detected in sample A. In sample B, two of the three related clones and the unrelated clone seen in A were found, as was also a third subclone showing a pattern of clonal evolution slightly different from that detected in A. In cases II and III, multiple cytogenetically unrelated clones were found in A and B, with only one clone being shared by both foci in each case. Our finding of cytogenetic similarities between macroscopically distinct tumour lesions indicates that the multifocality reflects intramammary tumour spread rather than the synchronous emergence of pathogenetically independent carcinomas within the same breast. On the other hand, the detection of karyotypic heterogeneity in the form of cytogenetically unrelated clones in all foci suggests that human breast carcinoma may be polyclonal. This polyclonality may be part of the explanation for the cellular heterogeneity commonly seen at the phenotypic level in breast cancer.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 24 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $10.79 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Teixeira, M., Pandis, N., Bardi, G. et al. Cytogenetic analysis of multifocal breast carcinomas: detection of karyotypically unrelated clones as well as clonal similarities between tumour foci. Br J Cancer 70, 922–927 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1994.421
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1994.421
This article is cited by
-
Intratumoral Heterogeneity in Ductal Carcinoma In Situ: Chaos and Consequence
Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia (2018)
-
Tiling array-CGH for the assessment of genomic similarities among synchronous unilateral and bilateral invasive breast cancer tumor pairs
BMC Clinical Pathology (2008)
-
Assessment of clonal relationships in ipsilateral and bilateral multiple breast carcinomas by comparative genomic hybridisation and hierarchical clustering analysis
British Journal of Cancer (2004)
-
Genetic Heterogeneity in Ductal Carcinoma of the Breast
Laboratory Investigation (2000)
-
Cytogenetic abnormalities in anin situ ductal carcinoma and five prophylactically removed breasts from members of a family with hereditary breast cancer
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment (1996)