Activated ras oncogenes in human thyroid cancers

• Published in: Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Vol. 48; no. 16; pp. 4459 - 4463
• Main Authors: LEMOINE, N. R, MAYALL, E. S, WYLLIE, F. S, FARR, C. J, HUGHES, D, PADUA, R. A, THURSTON, V, WILLIAMS, E. D, WYNFORD-THOMAS, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 15.08.1988
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Endocrinopathies; Genes, ras; Humans; Medical sciences; Mice; Mutation; Neoplasm Metastasis; Thyroid Neoplasms - genetics; Transfection
• ISSN: 0008-5472; 1538-7445

Human thyroid epithelial (follicular) cells give rise to two malignant tumors--"follicular" carcinomas, which metastasize almost exclusively via the bloodstream, and "papillary" carcinomas, which metastasize predominantly via lymphatics (Williams, E. D. In: W. Duncan (ed.), Recent Results in Cancer Research: Thyroid Cancer, pp. 47-55. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1980). We have investigated whether this contrast in biological behavior might be associated with different patterns of oncogene activation. DNA transfection analysis of five follicular and ten papillary cancers indeed showed a statistically significant difference in the pattern of genes responsible, activated ras oncogenes being found in 80% of follicular tumors but only 20% of papillary tumors. In addition, in follicular cancers we have found activation of all three ras oncogenes (H-ras, K-ras, and N-ras), the first time that this has been demonstrated in a primary human tumor type (as opposed to cell lines). We suggest therefore that ras activation may be an important determinant of metastatic capability in these epithelial cancers.