Extensive studies of the genetic aberrations related to human diseases conducted over the last two decades have
identified recurrent genomic abnormalities as potential driving factors underlying a variety of cancers. Over the time, a
series of cutting-edge high-throughput genetic tests, such as microarrays and next-generation sequencing, have been
developed and incorporated into routine clinical practice. Although it is a classical low-throughput cytogenetic test,
fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) does not show signs of fading; on the contrary, it plays an increasingly important
role in detecting specific biomarkers in solid and hematologic neoplasms and has therefore become an indispensable
part of the rapidly developing field of personalized medicine. In this article, we have summarized the recent advances in
FISH application for both de novo discovery and routine detection of chromosomal rearrangements, amplifications, and
deletions that are associated with the pathogenesis of various hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic malignancies. In
addition, we have reviewed the recent developments in FISH methodology as well.