Coamplification of the hst and bcl-1 oncogenes in advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck.

Squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck from 40 untreated patients were analysed for rearranged or amplified proto-oncogenes by Southern blot hybridisation. The bcl-1 and the hst genes were coamplified 8-32-fold in 5 patients (12.5%). Only males with stage III and IV disease showed coamplification of these oncogenes. Northern blot analysis of the positive samples did not show expression of bcl-1 or hst genes. In contrast, a third oncogene located on chromosome 11 (Ha-ras-1) was not amplified in these tumours. Disease development was observed in all cases over a minimum period of 3 years. Survival of the patients with coamplification of hst/bcl-1 seemed to be shorter than of those with stage III and IV disease without amplification. This difference was not significant probably due to the small number of investigated patients.