Researchers involved in the cytogenetics and molecular genetics of human tumors will welcome this comprehensive overview of the type of aberrations that chromosome 12 presents in human solid tumors. The authors study the implications for a cytogenetic subtyping of the tumors involved and strategies for identifying the molecular changes which underlie the karyotypic alterations. The aberrations of chromosome 12 which the book deals with are very frequent chromosomal alterations in human tumors occuring in frequent benign mesenchymal tumors, such as uterine leiomyomas and lipomas, and in tumors of epithelial origin, such as pleomorphic adenomas of the salivary glands.

The pace of discovery, within the EU, of scientific aspects of cancer research and of developments in the clinical field is so rapid that it is sometimes difficult to keep abreast. This brief overview attempts to highlight some of the advances in the field, as part of BIOMED programme funded research and specific results due to the co-operative spirit established by the scientific community. It is particularly worth noting the financial investment of 35 million ECU in the current programme, has d as a catalyst in attracting a large number of Member States funded research in pooling their collective knowledge base.

This edited book, Chromosomal Abnormalities - A Hallmark Manifestation of Genomic Instability, contains a series of chapters highlighting several aspects related to the generation of chromosomal abnormalities in genetic material. We are extremely grateful to the authors who had contributed with valuable information about the role of genomic instability in pathological disorders as well as in the evolution process.

The Role of Chromosomes in Cancer Biology provides a description of the molecular organization and function of chromosomes and the consequences of chromosomal aberrations in human development. The book presents accounts on the structure and function of the chromosome; the cellular features of primary tumors and ascetic fluid; the cytological actions of radiation and drugs and their relevance to therapy. Developmental disorders caused by chromosomal anomalies; chromosome aneuploidy in human malignancies; and viral oncogenesis are discussed as well. The book will prove to be very insightful to those involved in cancer research, oncologists, cytologists, and molecular biologists.