title: C-MYC expression in medulloblastoma and its prognostic value.
abstract: To identify prognostic factors in medulloblastoma, a common malignant brain tumor of childhood, expression of the oncogene c-myc was examined at the mRNA level by in situ hybridization. c-myc mRNA expression was observed in 30 of 72 tumors (42%). The c-myc gene copy number was determined by quantitative PCR from genomic DNA of paraffin-embedded tumors. c-myc gene amplification was present in 5 of 62 cases (8.3%). Therefore, c-myc amplification was obviously not the cause of c-myc mRNA expression in most samples. Kaplan-Meier estimation revealed a significant correlation between c-myc mRNA expression and survival (total mean follow-up 4.6 +/- 3.6 years, log-rank p = 0.02). Multivariate logistic regression analysis including sex, age, histological type, degree of surgical resection and expression of synaptophysin, GFAP and c-myc, was carried out on 54 patients who received both radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The analysis identified expression of c-myc as an independent predictive factor of death from disease.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Neuropathologie, Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany. jherms@med.uni-goettingen.de
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herms
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Neidt
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lüscher
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schürmann
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bergmann
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wilken
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Probst-Cousin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hernáiz-Driever
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Behnke
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hanefeld
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pietsch
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Kretzschmar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018628:Gene Dosage; D016259:Genes, myc; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate