[Expression, amplification and rearrangement of c-myc gene in human thyroid carcinoma].

The structure and expression of c-myc oncogene was analyzed by molecular hybridization in tumor tissues from 15 patients with primary thyroid carcinoma, 3 patients with thyroid adenoma and in tissues from 5 normal and 1 adjacent non-neoplastic thyroid. We found that in 9 of the 15 cancer patients, c-myc oncogene was overexpressed (ie, at levels 3-11 times higher than in normal thyroid tissues). Rearrangement of c-myc gene was observed in 4 cancer samples, of which one showed a 150-fold amplification of c-myc gene. Overexpression, amplification of c-myc gene were frequently detected in thyroid cancer patients with more malignant and unfavourable prognosis, which suggested that overexpression, amplification and rearrangement of c-myc oncogene may be associated with unfavourable prognosis of thyroid carcinoma. It has been shown that the activated c-myc oncogene may play an important role in the initiation and progress of thyroid carcinoma.