Abstract
In the last decade, remarkable studies have revealed that genetic and molecular changes contribute to the development and progression of human cancers. Especially, cytogenetic alteration is the most frequent abnormality in human malignant tumors including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). Classical cytogenetic analysis is performed based on chromosomal banding methods, such as G- or Q-banding. In the late 1980s, molecular cytogenetic analysis revolutionized the field of cytogenetics, particularly cancer cytogenetics. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to interphase nuclei is useful in cancer cytogenetics, since this method eliminates the need and time for cell culture, and enables the number of genes and chromosomal copies to be determined even in the absence of metaphase chromosomes. Moreover, genome screening approaches such as comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and spectral karyotyping (SKY) have been used to identify the molecular basis of human malignancies. More recently, microarray technologies combined with these screening methods can be used for rapid and precise investigation. This review presents the status of the clinical application of cytogenetic and FISH analyses, and discusses their problems in clinical applications.
