Geographic heterogeneity of chromosome aberrations in hematologic disorders.

The incidence of characteristic nonrandom chromosome aberrations in malignant cells of unselected, consecutively studied, and previously untreated patients from various geographic regions has been surveyed. The results demonstrate significant geographic heterogeneity in the distribution of the specific aberrations considered among the four malignant disorders studied in a sufficient number to permit conclusions, viz., acute nonlymphocytic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, polycythemia vera, and myelodysplastic syndrome.