Accuracy Of Fish For 3q26 Gains As A Screening Marker In Cervical Cancer

Extra copies of chromosome 3q, in which the human telomerase RNA gene (TERC) locates, have been documented as an almost constant genetic aberration during malignant transformation in cervical cancer. It has been suggested that analyzing the gain of chromosome 3q26 with FISH assay is an adjunct to cytology screening. However, the sensitivity and specificity of the test have not been well studied. In attempt to evaluate the accuracy of the test, we analyzed 104 specimens for the gain of TERC copy numbers, 45 of which were analyzed directly after collection from patients. In the other cases, we utilized the remaining material after preparation on PrepStain? System. To determined which cut off value is optimal in distinguishing CIN2 and more serious lesions from CIN1 and normal, ROC curve was generated (under curve area = 0.929), based on the percentage of cells with 3q gain (excluding tetraploid). As a result, we found that the optimal cut off value should be set at more than 4% cells showing TERC gain. At this threshold, a specificity of (81%) and sensitivity (88%) was achieved in our study using pathological diagnosis as reference standard. In conclusion, FISH assay for 3q26 gain on cervical specimens can be used as a screening tool to better distinguish CIN2 ~3 from less serious lesions with high sensitivity and specificity.