Determination of cellular oncogene rearrangement or amplification in ovarian adenocarcinomas.

Four cellular oncogenes, fos, myc, Ha-ras, and Ki-ras, are routinely expressed in ovarian adenocarcinomas. To determine whether the molecular lesion in ovarian carcinoma was a genetic rearrangement or amplification of expressed oncogenes, we examined the myc, Ha-ras, Ki-ras, and fos oncogenes in 14 serous adenocarcinomas of the ovary using molecular hybridization techniques. Using a series of diagnostic restriction endonucleases and gene-specific deoxyribonucleic acid probes, we found no evidence of rearrangement of these genes. In addition, we found no evidence of amplification of the cellular oncogenes analyzed in this series of ovarian tumors. Therefore genetic rearrangement or amplification of these cellular oncogenes is not the primary molecular lesion leading to their expression in ovarian carcinomas.