This project is designed to distinguish the biologic significance of non- random cytogenetic abnormalities in human ovarian, and breast carcinomas and in malignant melanoma. Other objectives are the examination of associations between cytogenetic abnormalities and disease characteristics and outcomes in ovarian cancer, analyses to identify cytogenetic abnormalities related to progression and outcome of malignant melanoma, and to identify cytogenetic events related to disease progression and outcome of breast cancer. Evidence continues to accumulate that specific chromosomal abnormalities may be associated with poor clinical outcomes particularly in hematologic tumors. The purpose of the project is to extend this line of investigation to the significantly more common and lethal solid tumors, including ovarian carcinoma, melanoma, and breast carcinoma. The investigation of these three distinct tumor types will allow a determination of cytogenetic changes important in the biology of the disease process. This work is planned to done through Arizona University, Arizona Cancer Center, where unique databases have been established that contain information about all three types of cancer presented in this contract. After the databases have been searched and NCHGR has analyzed the information, requests for identified patients DNA samples stored by the University will be made. Those samples are needed to distinguish the biologic significance of non-random cytogenetic abnormalities.
