The clinical significance of c-myc oncogene expression in melanomas of the scalp.
Melanomas of the scalp are rare and have a poorer prognosis than melanomas arising at other cutaneous sites. In order to study the biology of this disease, the activity of the c-myc oncogene was studied in tumours from 25 patients with scalp melanoma using the technique of flow cytometry. Survival analysis revealed that stratification of patients according to oncogene activity provided a prognostic marker with shorter overall survival (log rank test, chi 2 = 3.9, P = 0.05) in tumours with high nuclear c-myc oncoprotein positivity. These results support our previous studies of the prognostic value of c-myc expression in melanoma and suggest that estimation of c-myc oncoprotein may be of clinical significance in identifying high risk patients.
RAFT Institute of Plastic Surgery, Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, Middlesex, UK.
J S
JS
Chana
R
R
Grover
G D
GD
Wilson
D A
DA
Hudson
M
M
Forders
R
R
Sanders
A O
AO
Grobbelaar
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000378:metabolism*; D012535:Scalp; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc