Overexpression of C-MYC oncogene in prostate cancer predicts biochemical recurrence.
Alterations of chromosome 8, including amplification at 8q24 harboring the C-MYC oncogene, have been noted as one of the most common chromosomal abnormalities in prostate cancer (CaP) progression. However, the frequency of C-MYC alterations in CaP has remained uncertain. A recent study, using a new anti-MYC antibody, described prevalent upregulation of nuclear C-MYC protein expression as an early oncogenic alteration in CaP. Further, we have recently reported regulation of C-MYC expression by ERG and a significant correlation between C-MYC overexpression and TMPRSS2-ERG fusion in early stage CaP. These emerging data suggest that increased C-MYC expression may be a critical and early oncogenic event driving CaP progression. In this study, we assessed whether C-MYC mRNA overexpression in primary prostate tumors was predictive of more aggressive tumor or disease progression. Our approach was to quantitatively determine C-MYC mRNA expression levels in laser capture micro-dissected tumor cells and matched benign epithelial cells in a radical prostatectomy cohort with long follow-up data available. On the basis of our results, we conclude that elevated C-MYC expression in primary prostate tumor is biologically relevant and may be a predictor of future biochemical recurrence.
Hawksworth
D
D
Department of Surgery, Urology Service, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Ravindranath
L
L
Chen
Y
Y
Furusato
B
B
Sesterhenn
I A
IA
McLeod
D G
DG
Srivastava
S
S
Petrovics
G
G
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016259:Genes, myc; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009857:Oncogenes / Q000235:genetics; D011379:Prognosis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D012008:Recurrence; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C489427:MYC protein, human; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D012333:RNA, Messenger