Genetic changes in somatostatin receptor positive breast tumors.

Forty-nine primary breast tumors were analyzed for the expression of the somatostatin receptor (SSR) and genetic changes in the RB tumor suppressor gene. Twenty-four tumor samples were shown to contain receptors for somatostatin and in eight of these SSR-positive tumors we observed a mutation in the RB gene. However, since also in the group of SSR-negative tumors in eight of the 25 cases an alteration of the RB gene was observed, loss of this tumor suppressor gene is not specific for the SSR-positive subgroup of breast tumors. A similar, equal distribution between SSR-positive and SSR-negative breast tumors was observed for the six tumor samples which showed amplification of the neu proto-oncogene.