CGH microarrays and cancer

Genetic alterations are a key feature of cancer cells and typically target biological processes and pathways that contribute to cancer pathogenesis. Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) has provided a wealth of new information on copy number changes in cancer on a genome-wide level and aCGH data have also been utilized in cancer classification. More importantly, aCGH analyses have allowed highly accurate localization of specific genetic alterations that, for example, are associated with tumor progression, therapy response, or patient outcome. The genes involved in these aberrations are likely to contribute to cancer pathogenesis, and the high-resolution mapping by aCGH greatly facilitates the subsequent identification of these cancer-associated genes.