Construction of evolutionary tree model for esophageal carcinogenesis based on comparative genome hybridization data

AIM: Based on comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) data, to construct tree model of esophageal carcinoma and to explore mechanism of multigene involved, multistep development and multipathway progression during esophageal carcinogenesis. METHODS: Using the software developed by Desper et al, tree models of esophageal carcinoma were constructed according to the CGH data of 78 esophageal carcinoma patients. RESULTS: Tree models for esophageal carcinoma suggested that there were -4p, -9p, -18q, +7p, +8q, +17p, +17q, +20p, +20q nine nonrandom genetic events, and +7p、+8q and +20q might be important early events in esophageal carcinogenesis, indicating that there might be cancer-related genes in these chromosomal arms. CONCLUSION: Tree models based on CGH data of esophageal carcinoma imply the process of multigene involved, multistep and multipathway progression. The tree models also give the direction to search for esophageal cancer-related genes.