Molecular genetics in the diagnosis and prognosis of solid pediatric tumors.
The field of molecular genetics continues to see an ever increasing number of applications to pediatric tumor analysis. Studies in pediatric tumors have identified novel genes and other genetic changes, a large number of which reflect one of the following mechanisms: (1) activation of proto-oncogenes; (2) loss of tumor suppressor genes; or (3) creation of novel fusion proteins. At least one of these mechanisms is operational in each of the following pediatric tumors: neuroblastoma, Ewing sarcoma and peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (pPNET), intra-abdominal desmoplastic small-cell tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, and Wilms tumor. Out of this research has come not only an increased understanding of oncogenesis but also, for each of the tumors listed above, diagnostic and/or prognostic markers that can be used by the pathologist and oncologist to improve overall patient management.
Department of Pediatric Laboratory Medicine, Division of Pathology, Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8.
P S
PS
Thorner
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JA
Squire
D002648:Child; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008967:Molecular Biology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm