Expression of the c-myc gene in human gastrointestinal malignancies

We have examined the level of the c-myc transcript in 6 esophageal, 16 gastric, 19 colorectal and 1 anal cancer tissue samples; these included four lymph nodes and six hepatic metastases obtained surgically. The esophageal cancer tissues were without an increase of the c-myc transcript, some of the gastric cancer samples showed a two to three fold increase and most of the colorectal and the one anal cancer samples showed a two to ten fold increase when compared with a normal mucosal layer. Therefore, the level of the c-myc transcript in human gastrointestinal malignancies shows organ dependency. Local, lymphatic, and hepatic metastases showed little difference in the level of c-myc mRNA from that of the primary tumor.