Involvement of chromosomes 3 and 5 in renal cell carcinoma.

Clonal chromosome abnormalities in short-term cultures were found in 18 of 51 nonfamilial renal cell carcinomas. The breakpoints on chromosome 3 in seven specimens clustered in region 3p11-3p24.2, confirming its importance in the genesis of renal cell carcinoma. An i(5p) and involvement of band 5q21 were other frequent structural chromosome changes. Two additional nonrandom karyotype changes, the gain of one chromosome 7 and the loss of one sex chromosome, were also observed.