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C-MYC expression in medulloblastoma and its prognostic value
1Institut für Neuropathologie, Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany. jherms@med.uni-goettingen.de
International Journal of Cancer
|September 29, 2000
Summary
High c-myc mRNA expression in childhood medulloblastoma predicts poorer survival. This finding identifies c-myc as an independent prognostic factor for disease-related death in pediatric brain tumors.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Pediatric Neuro-oncology
Background:
- Medulloblastoma is a common malignant pediatric brain tumor.
- Identifying prognostic factors is crucial for treatment stratification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prognostic significance of the oncogene c-myc in medulloblastoma.
- To determine if c-myc mRNA expression correlates with patient survival.
Main Methods:
- In situ hybridization was used to assess c-myc mRNA expression in tumor samples.
- Quantitative PCR determined c-myc gene copy number.
- Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate logistic regression evaluated prognostic factors.
Main Results:
- c-myc mRNA expression was detected in 42% of medulloblastoma tumors.
- c-myc gene amplification was found in only 8.3% of cases, indicating mRNA expression is not solely due to amplification.
- Increased c-myc mRNA expression significantly correlated with reduced patient survival (log-rank p = 0.02).
Conclusions:
- c-myc mRNA expression is a significant prognostic factor in medulloblastoma.
- Expression of c-myc independently predicts a higher risk of death from the disease.
- These findings suggest c-myc could be a therapeutic target in pediatric medulloblastoma.