FIGURE 24-2 Cancers have highly abnormal karyotypes. Image of chromosomes obtained (a) from a normal human cell, with its characteristic 23 pairs of chromosomes, and (b) from an SW403 colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line. Each individual pair of chromosomes has a distinctive color. Two characteristics of the cancer cells are evident. First, the number of individual chromosomes is altered compared with normal cells. Second, many chromosomes are composites of pieces from different chromosomes.

[Part (a) ©Prof. Philippe Vago ©ISM/Phototake. Part (b) From Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2001 98(5):2538-43, Fig. 3c. Spectral karyotyping suggests additional subsets of colorectal cancers characterized by pattern of chromosome rearrangement. By Abdel-Rahman et al. Copyright (2001) National Academy of Sciences, USA.]