Fig. 5.

Classification of segmental defects in tumor samples. Spectral karyotyping analyses corresponding to 98 human carcinomas from the NCBI SKY/CGH database (93) were inspected for structural alterations. Samples without apparent structural alterations (seven cases) or bearing >25 alterations (four cases) were discarded. Alterations were classified according to breakpoint and fusion products. Multiple copies of the same alteration in a single sample were counted as a single event, as they correspond to aneuploid state of entire fusion products and do not involve de novo breakage. The majority of products involve centromeric fission, and only a minor proportion can be attributed to telomere–telomere fusion.