Fluorescent in situ Hybridization (FISH)
Fluorescent in situ Hybridization (FISH) is a relatively new technique using fluorescent labeled DNA probes to detect chromosomal abnormalities that sometimes can be difficult to identify using conventional Cytogenetics karyotyping.
FISH is a powerful tool that offers rapid, sensitive and specific detection of chromosomal abnormalities including deletions and translocations.
Many FISH probes are available and are utilized in diagnosing genetic anomalies in a variety of clinical settings including congenital genetic disorders and malignant tumors.
A few widely used FISH probes include HER2/neu in Breast cancer, UroVysion in Bladder cancer, BCR/ABL in Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML), and PML/RARA in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL).