Over the past 20 years, technological advances in molecular biology have
proven invaluable to the understanding of the pathogenesis of human
cancer. The application of molecular technology to the study of cancer
has not only led to advances in tumor diagnosis, but has also provided
markers for the assessment of prognosis and disease progression. The aim
of Molecular Ana- sis of Cancer is to provide a comprehensive collection
of the most up-to-date techniques for the detection of molecular changes
in human cancer. Leading researchers in the field have contributed
chapters detailing practical pro- dures for a wide range of
state-of-the-art techniques. Molecular Analysis of Cancer includes
chapters describing techniques for the identification of chromosomal
abnormalities and comprising: fluor- cent in situ hybridization (FISH),
spectral karyotyping (SKY), comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), and
microsatellite analysis. FISH has a pro- nent role in the molecular
analysis of cancer and can be used for the detection of numerical and
structural chromosomal abnormalities. The recently described SKY, in
which all human metaphase chromosomes are visualized in specific colors,
allows for the definition of all chromosomal rearrangements and marker
chromosomes in a tumor cell. Protocols for the detection of chromosomal
re- rangements by PCR and RT-PCR are described, as well as the technique
of DNA fingerprinting, a powerful tool for studying somatic genetic
alterations in tumorigenesis.
