Over the past 20 years, technological advances in molecular biology have proven invaluable to the understanding of the pathogenesis of human cancer. The application of molecular technology to the study of cancer has not only led to advances in tumor diagnosis, but has also provided markers for the assessment of prognosis and disease progression. The aim of Molecular Ana- sis of Cancer is to provide a comprehensive collection of the most up-to-date techniques for the detection of molecular changes in human cancer. Leading researchers in the field have contributed chapters detailing practical pro- dures for a wide range of state-of-the-art techniques. Molecular Analysis of Cancer includes chapters describing techniques for the identification of chromosomal abnormalities and comprising: fluor- cent in situ hybridization (FISH), spectral karyotyping (SKY), comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), and microsatellite analysis. FISH has a pro- nent role in the molecular analysis of cancer and can be used for the detection of numerical and structural chromosomal abnormalities. The recently described SKY, in which all human metaphase chromosomes are visualized in specific colors, allows for the definition of all chromosomal rearrangements and marker chromosomes in a tumor cell. Protocols for the detection of chromosomal re- rangements by PCR and RT-PCR are described, as well as the technique of DNA fingerprinting, a powerful tool for studying somatic genetic alterations in tumorigenesis.

Molecular Analysis of Cancer: An Overview
Ken Mills

Detection of Chromosome Abnormalities in Leukemia Using Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization
Lyndal Kearney, Sabrina Tosi, and Rina J. Jaju

Spectral Karyotyping in Cancer Cytogenetics
Eva Hilgenfeld, Cristina Montagna, Hesed Padilla-Nash, Linda Stapleton, Kerstin Heselmeyer-Haddad, and Thomas Ried

Comparative Genomic Hybridization Analysis
Binaifer R. Balsara, Jianming Pei, and Joseph R. Testa

Detection of Chromosomal Deletions by Microsatellite Analysis
Rachel E. Ibbotson and Martin M. Corcoran

Detection and Quantification of Leukemia-Specific Rearrangements
Andreas Hochhaus

Detection of t(2;5)(p23;q35) Translocation by Long-Range PCR of Genomic DNA
Yunfang Jiang, L. Jeffrey Medeiros, and Andreas H. Sarris

Use of DNA Fingerprinting to Detect Genetic Rearrangements in Human Cancer
Vorapan Sirivatanauksorn, Yongyut Sirivatanauksorn, Arthur B. McKie, and Nicholas R. Lemoine

Mutation Analysis of Large Genomic Regions in Tumor DNA Using Single-Strand Conformation Polymorphism: Lessons from the ATM Gene
Igor Vorechovsky

Mutational Analysis of Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes in Human Cancer Using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis
Per Guldberg, Kirsten Grønbæk, Jesper Worm, Per thor Straten, and Jesper Zeuthen

Detection of Mutations in Human Cancer Using Nonisotopic RNase Cleavage Assay
Marianna Goldrick and James Prescott

Mutational Analysis of the Neurofibromatosis Type 1 Gene in Childhood Myelodysplastic Syndromes Using a Protein Truncation Assay
Lucy Side

Mutation Analysis of Cancer Using Automated Sequencing
Amanda Strickson and Carrie Fidler

Detection of Differentially Expressed Genes in Cancer Using Differential Display
Yineng Fu

Genomewide Gene Expression Analysis Using cDNAMicroarrays
Chuang Fong Kong and David Bowtell

Gene Expression Profiling in Cancer Using cDNA Microarrays
Javed Khan, Lao H. Saal, Michael L. Bittner, Yuan Jiang, Gerald C. Gooden, Arthur A. Glatfelter, and Paul S. Meltzer

Wilms Tumor Gene WT1 as a Tumor Marker for Leukemic Blast Cells and Its Role in Leukemogenesis
Haruo Sugiyama
Detection of Aberrant Methylation of the p15INK4B Gene Promoter
Toshiki Uchida

Clonality Studies in Cancer Based on X Chromosome Inactivation Phenomenon
John T. Phelan II and Josef T. Prchal

Telomere Length Changes in Human Cancer
Dominique Broccoli and Andrew K. Godwin

Measurement of Telomerase Activity in Human Hematopoietic Cells and Neoplastic Disorders
Kazuma Ohyashiki and Junko H. Ohyashiki