Analysis Of The Heterogeneous Morphology And The Molecular Genetic Profile In Human Oligoastrocytomas

Background: Oligoastrocytomas are glial tumors composed of a mixture of two distinct neoplastic cell types, morphologically corresponding to oligodendrogliomas and astrocytomas. These two different cell types coexist either separately in different areas of the tumor, or intermingled within the same areas of the tumor. Due to this heterogeneous morphology of oligoastrocytoma, the histopathological diagnosis is subjective and can easily be interpreted to be diffuse astrocytomas or pure oligodendrogliomas. The clinical impact of correct diagnosis of oligodendrogliomas as well as oligoastrocytomas has become clear during recent years. In contrast to astrocytomas, most patients with oligodendrogliomas are responsive to chemotherapy and have a longer overall survival. Somatic deletions on the short arm of chromosome 1 and the long arm of chromosome 19 (LOH 1p and LOH 19q) were shown to be directly associated with the chemosensitivity of the tumor, and are at present used as a molecular guide in the...