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PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
9 Suppl
pubmed:dateCreated
1992-5-21
pubmed:abstractText
Activation of ras oncogenes is commonly found in human neoplasms. We have investigated 280 human lung cancer specimens for ras activation, including 38 that have not been reported previously, using an oligonucleotide detection assay. From a total of 141 adenocarcinoma samples from smokers, 41 tested positive for a point mutation in codon 12 of K-ras (30%), while three tumors had another type of ras activation. Only two of 40 cases from nonsmokers had a K-ras mutation (5%), suggesting that K-ras mutations may be directly caused by exposure to carcinogens in tobacco smoke. The majority of the point mutations in adenocarcinomas were guanine to thymine transversions in codon 12 of the K-ras oncogene. Occasional point mutations in ras oncogenes were detected in adenosquamous carcinomas (one of five cases) and large cell carcinoma (one of 24 cases), but no ras activations were found in small cell carcinomas (six cases), squamous carcinomas (48 cases), carcinoid carcinomas (15 cases), or thymoma (one case). Analysis of the clinical and pathological features of the adenocarcinoma cases showed no apparent associations between the K-ras activation and age at diagnosis, sex, disease stage, and the occurrence of other neoplasms. K-ras-positive adenocarcinomas tended to be less differentiated than the K-ras-negative ones (P = 0.044, chi 2 test for trend). K-ras mutations identify a subgroup of patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung who have a very poor prognosis despite radical resection of their tumor. Although K-ras has been proposed as a target for antitumor therapy, its major clinical significance could be to aid in the selection of patients for specific therapeutic interventions, such as adjuvant chemotherapy.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
May
pubmed:issn
0008-5472
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
1
pubmed:volume
52
pubmed:geneSymbol
K-ras, ras
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
2665s-2669s
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1992
pubmed:articleTitle
Clinical significance of ras oncogene activation in human lung cancer.
pubmed:affiliation
Division of Experimental Therapy, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Review, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't