Allelic loss of chromosomes 16q and 10q in human prostate cancer.

Recent advances in understanding the molecular genetics of common adult tumors have indicated that multiple genetic alterations including the activation of oncogenes and the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes are important in the pathogenesis of these tumors. Loss of heterozygosity is a hallmark of tumor suppressor gene inactivation and has been used to identify chromosomal regions that contain these genes. We have examined allelic loss in the most common tumor in men, prostate cancer.