Overrepresentation o f the short arm of chromosome '12 is frequentty detected in human testicular germ cell tumors of adolescents and adults (TGCT). This overrepresentation m ostly results from the formation of an isochromosome: i{ 12p). Whether the overrepresentation consistently involves
I N T R O D U C T I O NHuman testicular germ cell tumors of adolescents and adults (TGCT) can clinically and histologically be grouped Rotterdam; Department of Medical Genetics University Hospital Groningen (J. v E.}, Groningen; and Department of Human Genetics, University Hos pital Nijmegen, (D. O. W., A. G. v K.j into two entities; the seminomas (SE) and nonseminomatous TGCT (NS) [l, 2], All TGCT originate from a common precursor, carcinoma in situ (CIS) [3]. Despite a hypertriploid DNA content for CIS and SE and a hypotriploid DNA content for NS [4-6], they show a striking similarity in
From the Laboratory for Experimental Patho-Oncology Dr. Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center; University Hospital Rotterdam