Translocations in Malignant Tumors

Abstract

In general, the development and biology of epithelial tumors, carcinomas, and adenocarcinomas are associated with an array of orchestrated genetic changes characterized by a successive process of loss of heterozygosity. On the other hand, tumors of mesodermal origin (bone and soft tissue tumors) are often associated with translocations thought to be causally related to the development of the neoplasia. Often, the translocation is the only cytogenetic change observed in these tumors (Table 1). The occurrence of translocations as a sole karyotypic event in carcinomas, as indicated by the authors of the article by French et al,1 is extremely rare.