Low Incidence of ras Oncogene Activation in Human Squamous Cell Carcinomas
Author Information
Author(s): G. Rumsby, R.L. Carter, B.A. Gusterson
Primary Institution: Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research
Hypothesis
What is the incidence of ras activation in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck?
Conclusion
The study indicates that there is a low incidence of ras mutation in human squamous cell carcinomas.
Supporting Evidence
- Mutations in codon 12 of the Harvey ras gene were found in two carcinomas that had received prior irradiation.
- Only three samples showed point mutations, indicating a low incidence of ras activation.
- The study utilized a detailed analysis of ras mutations in both cell lines and tumor samples.
Takeaway
This study looked at cancer samples to see if a specific gene was broken. They found that not many of these cancers had the broken gene.
Methodology
The study used oligonucleotide probes and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on DNA extracted from archival paraffin-embedded material.
Limitations
The quality of DNA from paraffin-embedded tissues is generally poor.
Participant Demographics
37 head and neck squamous carcinomas (31 male, 6 female; age 29-84, median 57) and 7 skin squamous carcinomas (3 male, 4 female).
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