Glossary
Anticancer drugs used in combination with surgery and/or radiation as an initial treatment before there is detectable spread of the cancer, to prevent or delay recurrence.
Centromere
The constricted region usually near the center of a chromosome (at the joining point of chromosome arms) consisting of highly repeated DNA sequences.
Chromosome
Structure in a cell on which genes are located, consisting of a highly compacted stretch of DNA.
Chromosome Abnormalities
These can be either structural or numerical. Structural abnormalities include translocations, deletions or insertions, duplications and amplifications. Numerical abnormalities are either a gain or loss of chromosomes.
DNA
An acronym for deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA contains all the information necessary for any organism to develop and function. The four chemical building blocks of DNA are Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine and Guanine.
DNA Probe
A synthetic segment of DNA specifically designed to be complementary to a target sequence of chromosomes, genes or gene sequences. For FISH, the synthetic piece of DNA is coupled with a fluorescent indicator, or tag, so that the chromosomes or genes it binds (or hybridizes) to can be directly visualized using a fluorescent microscope.
Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH)
A technique utilizing a fluorescent-labeled DNA probe to detect a particular chromosome or gene.
Fluorescence
Fluorescent signals in FISH technology are visualized using a fluorescent microscope. Fluorescence is luminescence caused by the absorption of radiation at one wavelength followed by nearly immediate reradiation usually at a different wavelength and that ceases almost at once when the incident radiation stops.
Gene
A segment of nucleic acid that contains the information necessary to produce a functional product, usually a protein. Genes are the biologic units of heredity. They interact with each other to influence physical development and behavior.
Gene amplification
Increase in the normal copy number of a gene.
Hybridization (e.g., DNA hybridization)
The process of joining two complementary strands of DNA.
in situ
In the natural or original position
Metastatic
Metastatic breast cancer refers to cancer that has left the breast and spread to distant sites.
Nucleic Acid
A nucleic acid is a complex, high-molecular weight molecule composed of nucleotide chains that convey genetic information. The most common nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). Nucleic acids are found in all living cells and viruses.
back to top
