The prognosis and clinical course of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is heterogeneous. Conventional banding techniques in CLL are hampered by the low mitotic index of the neoplastic cells. The introduction of interphase cytogenetics using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) has greatly increased the sensitivity of cytogenetic analyses. With FISH, abnormalities can be detected in more than 80% of patients by using a 4-probe panel for the detection of trisomy 12q13-15 and deletions 13q14, 17p13, and 11q22-23. An additional 10% of patients can be shown to carry a 6q21 deletion, 14q32 translocation, and partial trisomy 3q or 8q.
Deletions involving the long arm of chromosome 6 (6q) are among the most common structural aberrations leading to a loss of chromosomal material in lymphoproliferative disorders and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Two distinct regions, one at 6q21-22.1, the other at 6q23.3-25, have been found as minimal deleted regions in 6q- patients. A 6q deletion has been found in a variety of other human malignancies as well, including breast carcinoma, malignant melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, salivary gland adenocarcinoma, ovarian carcinoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and nodal NHL.
Clinical Applications
- Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
- Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas (NHL)