Abstract
We investigated the frequency and clinical significance of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at the APC, MCC, and DCC tumor suppressor gene loci in 108 cases of resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). LOH at the APC/MCC gene cluster at chromosome 5q21 occurred frequently; it affected 29% of informative NSCLC cases and correlated with a significantly worse survival (P < 0.01). Furthermore, in the subtype most frequently affected (SCC), LOH at 5q not only correlated with a worse survival but also tumor involvement of the mediastinal and/or hilar nodes. In contrast, LOH at the DCC locus at chromosome 18q was far less frequent, occurring in 14% of NSCLC cases, and it was not associated with advanced stage or prognosis. These data suggest that LOH at 5q has a role in determining tumor progression and survival in NSCLC, and may prove to be a clinically useful prognostic indicator.
Footnotes
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↵1 This work was supported by grants from The Prince Charles Hospital, the Queensland Cancer Fund, and the NH&MRC (Australia).
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↵2 To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at the Queensland Cancer Fund Research Unit, Department of Pathology, University of Queensland Medical School, Herston, Queensland, Australia 4006.
- Received November 2, 1994.
- Accepted November 30, 1994.
- ©1995 American Association for Cancer Research.
Volume 55, Issue 2
