MYC Is Amplified in BRCA1-Associated Breast Cancers
Purpose: Germ-line mutations in the BRCA1 tumor suppressor gene predispose to early onset breast cancers with a distinct phenotype characterized by high tumor grade, aneuploidy, high proliferation rate, and estrogen receptor-negativity. The molecular mechanisms and cooperative oncogenes contributing...
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Published in: | Clinical cancer research Vol. 10; no. 2; pp. 499 - 507 |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Journal Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Philadelphia, PA
American Association for Cancer Research
15-01-2004
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | Purpose: Germ-line mutations in the BRCA1 tumor suppressor gene predispose to early onset breast cancers with a distinct phenotype characterized by high tumor grade,
aneuploidy, high proliferation rate, and estrogen receptor-negativity. The molecular mechanisms and cooperative oncogenes
contributing to multistep tumor progression in cells lacking BRCA1 are not well defined. To examine whether C-MYC ( MYC ), a transforming oncogene associated with genetic instability, contributes to multistep tumor progression in BRCA1 -associated breast cancer, we have analyzed tumors from women with hereditary BRCA1 -mutated and sporadic breast cancers.
Experimental Design: We performed fluorescence in situ hybridization using a MYC:CEP8 assay on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissues from 40 women with known deleterious germ-line BRCA1 mutations and 62 sporadic cases, including 20 cases with hypermethylation of the BRCA1 gene promoter.
Results: We observed a MYC:CEP8 amplification ratio ≥2 in 21 of 40 (53%) BRCA1 -mutated tumors compared with 14 of 62 (23%) sporadic tumors ( P = 0.003). Of the 14 sporadic cases with MYC amplification, 8 (57%) were BRCA1 -methylated. In total, MYC amplification was found in a significantly higher proportion of tumors with BRCA1 dysfunction (29 of 60, 48% versus 6 of 42, 14%; P = 0.0003). In a multivariable regression model controlling for age, tumor size, and estrogen receptor status, BRCA1 -mutated tumors demonstrated significantly greater mean MYC:CEP8 ratio than sporadic tumors ( P = 0.02).
Conclusions: Our data indicate that MYC oncogene amplification contributes to tumor progression in BRCA1 -associated breast cancers. Thus, we conclude that the aggressive histopathological features of BRCA1 -associated tumors are in part due to dysregulated MYC activity. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 1078-0432 1557-3265 |
DOI: | 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-0976-03 |