RESUMEN
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>to investigate the chromosomal characteristics of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas by spectral karyotyping.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>cytogenetic aberrations of pancreatic cancer cell line P2 established from a Chinese patient was investigated by spectral karyotyping (SKY). Chromosomal alterations were further evaluated in 10 cases of pancreatic cancer and 10 cases of chronic pancreatitis by two color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) by using EGFR/CEP7 probe and paraffin embedded tissue samples.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>hypotriploid and 26 chromosomal aberrations were revealed in cell line P2. Recurrent chromosomal numerical alterations included loss of chromosome 4, 9, 18, 19, 22, Y, 10p, 15p, 8p, 6q and 12p, with gain of chromosome 7 and 12q. Frequent chromosomal structural abnormalities included der(9;15)(q10;q10), der(10)(3;10)(?;q26) and der(12)(8;12)(?;p13). Four of 10 cases showed EGFR copy number changes by FISH.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>highly complex chromosomal rearrangements occur in pancreatic cancers. Additional studies of more cases are needed, including FISH analysis of EGFR copy number changes, to reach a conclusion.</p>