myc family DNA amplification in small cell lung cancer patients' tumors and corresponding cell lines

• Published in: Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Vol. 48; no. 18; pp. 5163 - 5166
• Main Authors: JOHNSON, B. E, MAKUCH, R. W, SIMMONS, A. D, GAZDAR, A. F, BURCH, D, CASHELL, A. W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 15.09.1988
• Subjects: Autoradiography; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Small Cell - genetics; Cell Line; Deoxyribonuclease BamHI; DNA Restriction Enzymes - metabolism; Gene Amplification; Humans; Lung Neoplasms - genetics; Medical sciences; Oncogenes; Pneumology; Tumors of the respiratory system and mediastinum; Human; Cell culture; Gene amplification; Cell line; C-Onc gene; Cardiovascular disease; Tumor; Molecular biology; Oat cell carcinoma; Bronchopulmonary
• ISSN: 0008-5472; 1538-7445

Tumor specimens procured from 38 different small cell lung cancer patients were studied for DNA amplification of the myc family of protooncogenes (c-myc, N-myc, and L-myc). Six of the 38 specimens (16%) had 4-fold or greater myc family DNA amplification (N-myc in 4 and L-myc in 2). All 6 tumors with amplification came from patients who had received combination chemotherapy. The myc family gene copy number of the DNA prepared from 9 tumor cell lines established from these 38 patients was similar to the myc family gene copy number in the DNA prepared from fresh tumor specimens from these same patients. myc family DNA amplification is present in 16% of small cell lung cancer patients' tumors and the amplification pattern in the tumor cell lines is representative of the fresh tumors obtained from the same patients.