Cytogenetic differences in blood and cancer tissue samples of the same patient group

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent malignant disease in females worldwide. Genomic instability in tumor tissue has been associated with tumor progression. These genetic changes may take a variety of forms, including numerical and structural chromosomal abnormalities (CAs), epigenetic changes, and gene expression alterations. Many tumor tissues are made up of genetically different cell populations, and the study of the causes and consequences of this heterogeneity play a central role in cancer research. In this study, CAs in blood and cancer tissues of patients with sporadic BC were examined. Our findings shows that the increase in numerical sex aneuploidy in BC tissues is significantly higher than in blood tissue. These aneuploidy increases in cancer tissues seem to be compatible with the development and increase of cancer, and can play a role in the pathogenesis of cancers. These changes are consistent with early and long-standing exposure to carcinogens, especially estrogens. These findings should clarify our understanding of breast carcinogenesis in breast tissues and promote development of improved methods for risk assessment and BC prevention in women.