title: N-myc gene amplification in rhabdomyosarcoma detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization: its correlation with histologic features.
abstract: Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was applied to 15 alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas (A-RMSs) and 14 embryonal RMSs (E-RMSs) to detect N-myc (also called MYCN) oncogene amplification. The results were compared with histologic characteristics and clinical factors. The number of surviving patients in each subtype was 5 of 15 with A-RMS and 5 of 14 with E-RMS. N-myc amplification was detected in 9 of the 15 A-RMSs but in none of the 14 E-RMSs. Tumor cells exhibiting N-myc amplification were identified only in the alveolar area in two A-RMSs, and they demonstrated a histologic mixture of alveolar and embryonal patterns. The remaining seven cases with an amplified N-myc showed a conventional alveolar pattern. Among the 15 A-RMSs, the survival rate of patients with tumors showing nonamplified N-myc and amplified N-myc oncogene was 4 (66%) of 6 and 1(11%) of 9, respectively (P < .05). No significant difference was observed between the other clinical findings (age, primary sites, clinical stages) of the N-myc-amplified and nonamplified tumors. Therefore, we concluded that the N-myc gene amplification, which is characteristic of a particular subtype of A-RMS, might be useful as a prognostic factor for an unfavorable outcome.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hachitanda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toyoshima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akazawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsuneyoshi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D016259:Genes, myc / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018232:Rhabdomyosarcoma, Alveolar / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D018233:Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate