C-MYC expression in medulloblastoma and its prognostic value.
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.
Herms
J
J
Institut für Neuropathologie, Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany. jherms@med.uni-goettingen.de
Neidt
I
I
Lüscher
B
B
Sommer
A
A
Schürmann
P
P
Schröder
T
T
Bergmann
M
M
Wilken
B
B
Probst-Cousin
S
S
Hernáiz-Driever
P
P
Behnke
J
J
Hanefeld
F
F
Pietsch
T
T
Kretzschmar
H A
HA
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