Molecular-genetic analysis of myc and c-Ha-ras proto-oncogene alterations in human carcinoma.

The results of recent studies on the molecular biology of cancer suggest the abnormal expression of cellular proto-oncogenes in the process of carcinogenesis [1]. The activation of proto-oncogenes, i.e., their conversion into cellular oncogenes, is associated with gene structural alterations and mutations resulting in the unregulated production of oncoproteins, matched by deranged biological function of the latter. Recently, "mixed" variants of ras-family gene activation were established. They involve both amplification and point mutations in one of the "hot" codons [2,3]. The present study deals with the analysis of alterations of v-myc-related sequences and c-Ha-ras proto-oncogenes occurring in primary tumors, metastases, homologous with cancer-intact tissues and peripheral blood leukocytes of cancer patients.