The purpose of this study is to determine the genetic frequency of GNAS activating mutations in colorectal cancer and the corresponding pathology of GNAS mutant tumors. Oncogenic mutations in GNAS have been described in a number of neoplasms including those of the pituitary, kidney, pancreas, and, more recently, in colon cancer. To ascertain the frequency in colon cancer we employed a sensitive...

We recently identified the secreted protein IGFBP7 as a factor required for an activated BRAF oncogene to induce senescence or apoptosis in primary human cells. In human melanomas containing an activating BRAF mutation (BRAF-positive melanomas), IGFBP7 is epigenetically silenced, which seems to be a critical step in melanoma genesis. Restoration of IGFBP7 function by the addition of recombinant...

PURPOSE Recent studies suggest that activating point mutations in B-RAF may commonly occur in melanoma. We devised a method to detect point mutations in heterogeneous tissues containing both wild-type and mutant B-RAF and N-RAS genes by using site-directed mutagenesis to introduce new restrictions sites in the cDNA sequence when the specific point mutations are present. We used this technique t...

UNLABELLED Data from 8 breast cancer genome-sequencing projects identified 25 patients with HER2 somatic mutations in cancers lacking HER2 gene amplification. To determine the phenotype of these mutations, we functionally characterized 13 HER2 mutations using in vitro kinase assays, protein structure analysis, cell culture, and xenograft experiments. Seven of these mutations are activating muta...

introduction: secondary radiation such as photoelectrons, auger electrons and characteristic radiations cause a local boost in dose for a tumor when irradiated with an external x-ray beam after being loaded with elements capable of activating the tumor, e.g.; i and gd. materials and methods:  in this investigation, the mcnpx code was used for simulation and calculation of dose enhancement facto...

Objective: To compare the effectiveness and costeffectiveness of erlotinib versus gefitinib as first-line treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor– activating mutation-positive non–small-cell lung cancer patients. Design: Indirect treatment comparison and a costeffectiveness assessment.