title: [Oncogenes and differential diagnosis among non-neoplastic, precancerous lesions and early and advances cancers].
abstract: Reviewing recent publications, especially on ras and myc expression in GI tract tumors, the usefulness of detecting oncogene changes for differential diagnosis among non-neoplastic changes, precancerous lesions, early and advanced cancers were discussed. While quantitative change of oncogene expression per se appears to have only limited value, qualitative alteration in oncogenes or in regulatory mechanisms of oncogene expression seems to offer more promising perspective for judging the biological character of individual lesions. The definition of precancerous lesion and early carcinoma is also carefully discussed.
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D011905:Genes, ras; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D009857:Oncogenes; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000175:diagnosis*