Chromosomal Aberrations and Cancer Risk: Results of a Cohort Study from Central Europe

Abstract

A high level of chromosomal aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes may be an early marker of cancer risk, but data on risk of specific cancers and types of chromosomal aberrations (chromosome type and chromatid type) are limited. A total of 6,430 healthy individuals from nine laboratories in Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia, included in chromosomal aberration surveys performed during 1978-2002, were followed up for cancer incidence or mortality for an average of 8.5 years; 200 cancer cases were observed. Compared with that for the low-tertile level of chromosomal aberrations, the relative risks of cancer for the medium and high tertiles were 1.78 (95% confidence interval: 1.19, 2.67) and 1.81 (95% confidence interval: 1.20, 2.73), respectively. The relative risk for chromosome-type aberrations above versus below the median was 1.50 (95% confidence interval: 1.12, 2.01), while that for chromatid-type aberrations was 0.97 (95% confidence interval: 0.72, 1.31). The analyses of risk of specific cancers were limited by small numbers, but the association was stronger for stomach cancer. This study confirms the previously reported association between level of chromosomal aberrations and cancer risk and provides novel information on the type of aberrations more strongly predictive of cancer risk and on the types of cancer more strongly predicted by chromosomal aberrations.

Persistent genomic instability in peripheral blood lymphocytes from hodgkin lymphoma survivors

“…Cancer risk is associated with many factors, one of the most important being chromosomal damage. Several studies have indicated a clear association between cancer risk and the frequency of GCRs in PBLs, suggesting that GCRs in PBLs can be used as a biomarker of cancer risk [Blanco et al, 2001;Heng et al, 2006;Norppa et al, 2006;Boffetta et al, 2007]. In our patients, the majority of GCRs were observed in only one cell (nonclonal); however, GCRs are the primary source of genomic variation that can lead to unstable cell populations and, ultimately, initiate the conversion of a healthy cell into a cancer cell [Heng et al, 2006].…”

“…In our study, we found 6 GCRs per 1,000 lymphocytes (Table IV) or 6,000 GCRs in 10 6 cells. If the chromosomal damage found in PBLs is similar to the damage that occurs in other tissues, the frequency of GCRs may be an indication of cancer risk in any tissue [Norppa et al, 2006;Boffetta et al, 2007].…”

Heavy ion carcinogenesis and human space exploration

“…In fact, chromosomal aberrations in the blood lymphocytes are considered a validated biomarker of cancer risk [51][52][53] , and can be used as biodosimeters to estimate equivalent dose in exposed individuals 54 . Biodosimetry studies performed by NASA [55][56] and in…”

Genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of formic acid on human lymphocytes in vitro

“…Due to the fact that the mechanisms by which chromosomal anomalies emergence resemble each another in different tissues, the level of anomalies in lymphocytes is considered to be an indication of the level of anomalies in other tissues that tend to be cancerous; thus it is also an indicator of cancer risk (14,15 …”