Klin Onkol 2008; 21(Suppl 1): 198-203.
The presence and type of chromosomal abnormalities belong among the most important independent prognostic factors in patients with multiple myeloma. Classical cytogenetics based on the analysis of mitotic fi gures is often diffi cult due to the low proliferative index of malignant plasma cells. In order to circumvent this pitfall, molecular cytogenetics methods especially interphase fl uorescence in situ
hybridization (FISH) with centromeric or locus specifi c DNA probes have been developed to study the most frequent numerical and structural chromosomal abnormalities observed in myeloma. The main difference to leukemias is that interphase FISH in myeloma needs to be coupled with plasma cell identifi cation in the bone marrow specimens. The aim of this article is to summarize the principles, impact and limits of classical and molecular cytogenetic methods and their modifi cations used for the routine identifi cation of cytogenetic abnormalities in multiple myeloma. We discuss the most common types of chromosomal aberrations in multiple myeloma and their prognostic importance.
