Genetic variability of proto-oncogenes for breast cancer risk and prognosis.
This paper summarizes the results of a study on human breast cancers performed mainly at the Centre René Huguenin in collaboration with other American and French groups, and supported in part by a Grant from the Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (ARC) Villejuif. During this work, the following conclusions emerged: c-myc proto-oncogene amplification is a common alteration in ductal invasive tumors, more frequently found in recurrent and metastatic tumors, suggesting a role for c-myc in tumor progression. However, in the current state of our study, it does not appear to be linked to prognosis; parts of the short arm of chromosome 11 are deleted in 20% of tumors resulting in hemizygosity for several genes (c-ha-ras, beta globin, pTH, calcitonin, catalase). These deletions seem to be linked with aggressiveness of tumors; a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) study of c-ha-ras has shown a significant association of the frequency of rare ha-ras alleles in cancer patients compared to that of normal individuals. Although this result is currently a matter of controversy, further studies must be independently repeated to be conclusive; -- another RFLP was found in c-mos proto-oncogene, which is detected only in patients with breast cancers or other types of tumors. The molecular basis for this RFLP has been elucidated. The significance of this association is unknown.
Lidereau
R
R
Centre René Huguenin, Saint-Cloud, France.
Mathieu-Mahul
D
D
Escot
C
C
Theillet
C
C
Champeme
M H
MH
Cole
S
S
Mauchauffe
M
M
Ali
I
I
Amione
J
J
Callahan
R
R
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D011905:Genes, ras; D006801:Humans; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011379:Prognosis; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D012307:Risk Factors