BMC Cancer 2007, 7:226 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/7/226 Colorectal adenocarcinoma (430 cases) Gains: 20q13 (53%), 13q (38.6%), 8q24 (37.2%), 7(p) (35.6%), X(q21), 1q, 5p, 12(p), 19 regions with frequent genomic gains in the the included cases, previous reports have shown e.g. amplification of PRKCE on 2p21 [60] and FGF3 [61]. Losses: 18q(22) (47.4%), 8p(22) (37.9%), 17p12 (27%), 4 (up to 23.7%), 14, 15, 22 In colorectal carcinoma, gains on 8q23q24 [52] have been associated with lymph-node positivity. In a recent study, gains on 20q as well as KRAS mutations could bee shown to precede aneuploidy [53]. An overview is provided in [54]. Hepatocellular adenocarcinoma (HCC; 371 cases) Gains: 1q23q31 (46.6%), 8q24 (44.8%), 6p21 (22.4%), 17q (21.8%), 5, 7, 20 Losses: 4q (up to 31.3%), 8p(21) (31.3%), 13q21 (28.3%), 16q(21) (25.9%), 17p13 (25.3%), 1p, 6q, 14, 18 Losses of 8p have been shown to distinguish HCC from other liver malignancies [55]. Also, losses on 4q and 13q were associated with poor differentiation [56]. An over- view of genomic changes in HCC with discussion of puta- tive target genes is provided in [57]. Head-neck squamous cell carcinoma, excluding nasopharyngeal ca. (HNSCC; 339 cases) Gains: 3q26 (59.2%), 8q24 (40.8%), 11q13 (31.9%, many specific high-level), 5p (26.5%), Xq, 1q, 7q(21), 12p, 17 Losses: 3p (30.1%), 18q(22) (22.4%), 9p (22.4%), 11q24 (19.2%), 4, 5q, 8p, 13 Genomic imbalances in HNSCC are in line with other squamous cell carcinomas (-3p, +3q, +5p). The high rate of amplifications at 11p13 has been shown to involve the cyclin D1 (CCND1) locus and to be accompanied by high expression of the gene [58]. Thyroid carcinoma (314 cases) Gains: 5(p), 7, 20(q) Losses: 13q, 22, 1p Although a number of highly aberrant cases was included (see outliers in box plot, Figure 1), thyroid carcinomas, including all variants, showed an overall the lowest level of chromosomal imbalances. The subset included a large study in post-Chernobyl tumors in children, for which imbalances could be found only in 30% of tumors [59]. Interestingly, anaplastic carcinomas had a low median number but high variability. Although not mapping to Non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC; 314 cases) Gains: 5p (52.8%), 3q26 (39.4%), 8q24 (35.4%), 1q(21) (28.4%), 3, 6p, 11q13, 12p, 17q, 18p Losses: 3p (31.9%), 4(q) (26.4%), 5q (26%), 13q21 (25.6%), 8p(21) (24%), 9 (up to 20.5%), 17p (16.5%), 1p, 6q, 10, 18q NSCLC is a histologically heterogeneous group, consist- ing of squamous (SCC) and non-squamous (NSCC) cases. Imbalances have been shown to be partially shared between the groups, with differences in the frequency of some regional involvements [62]. Cervix carcinoma (226 cases) Gains: 3q26qter (53.6%), 1q (up to 28.3%), 5p (27.4%), 8q24 (20.3%), 6p, 9(q), 17q, 20q, X Losses: 2q36 (30.1%), 3p (up to 25.2%), 4 (up to 23.5%), 11q23q24 (23%), 6q, 13q, 17p, 18 The number of chromosomal changes may be influenced by occurrence and type of HPV infection. However, in a large study no correlation between single imbalances and clinical parameters could be identified [63]. Losses of the telomeric region of 2q were frequent and rarely found in other entities. Esophagus carcinoma (209 cases) Gains: 3q(26) (53.2%), 8q24 (49.8%), 7p (34%), 20q13 (32.6), 1q (29.7%), 7q21 (29.7%), 5p (28.7%), Xq (23.4%), 6p12 (22.9%), 12p (22.5%), 11q13 (22.1%), 17q21 (21.6%), 2(q), 9q Losses: 3p (up to 37.3%), 18q (37.3%), 4 (up to 33%), 5q(21) (29.2%), 9p (26.3%), 8p (23.4%), 13q (up to 23%), 1p (22.5%), 19q (2%), 17p (20.1%), 10, 11, Xp Esophagus carcinomas showed an overall high "back- ground" of gains and losses, with the 2nd highest number of imbalances per case. This group consists of cases with squamous cell as well as adenocarcinoma or intestinal adeno-ca. histology. Besides specific de-regulation of oncogenes, an effect of the massive genomic changes on chromatin structure has been discussed previously [64]. Renal carcinoma (RCC, 195 cases) Gains: 7 (up to 33.4%), 5q(31) (32.8%), 8q23q24 (19.5%), 20 (up to 18.5%), 17q (up to 17.4%), 1qter (13.1%), 3q, 12, 16 Page 6 of 15 (page number not for citation purposes)