title: EML4-ALK fusion transcript is not found in gastrointestinal and breast cancers.
abstract: Fusion genes have been identified as chromosomal rearrangements in certain cancers, such as leukaemia, lymphoma, and sarcoma. The EML4-ALK (EML4: echinoderm microtubule-associated-protein-like 4; ALK: anaplastic lymphoma kinase) fusion gene has been identified as an oncogene in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study examined the presence of this fusion transcript in gastrointestinal and breast cancers. We evaluated the expression of the EML4-ALK transcript in 104 lung cancer cases and in 645 gastrointestinal and breast cancer samples. Only one of the lung cancer samples tested positive for the EML4-ALK fusion transcript, whereas none were detected in 555 gastrointestinal and 90 breast cancer cases. Our data suggest that the EML4-ALK fusion transcript is not present in gastrointestinal or breast cancers and is specific to NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 4546 Tsurumihara, Beppu 874-0838, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukuyoshi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Utsunomiya
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000032:analysis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C522504:EML4-ALK fusion protein, human; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion