Patent ID: 8603746

Claim:
A method for detecting chromosomal abnormalities in a plurality of cervical cells, said method consisting of: hybridizing a first nucleic acid probe to a target nucleic acid sequence on chromosome 3q of the cervical cells to form a first hybridization complex; hybridizing a second nucleic acid probe to a target nucleic acid on chromosome 5p of the cervical cells to form a second hybridization complex; hybridizing a nucleic acid control probe to centromere of chromosome 7 (CEN7) to form a third hybridization complex; detecting a first signal indicative of the formation of the first hybridization complex on chromosome 3q; detecting a second signal indicative of the formation of the second hybridization complex on chromosome 5p; detecting a third signal indicative of the formation of the third hybridization complex on CEN7, wherein said first, second and third signals indicative of formation of first, second and third hybridization complexes is indicative of an increase in chromosomal copy number in the cervical cells, and wherein the increase in chromosomal copy number is indicative of the chromosomal abnormalities in the cervical cells.