APC mutations occur early during colorectal tumorigenesis (original) (raw)

Nature volume 359, pages 235–237 (1992)Cite this article

Abstract

HUMAN tumorigenesis is associated with the accumulation of mutations both in oncogenes and in tumour suppressor genes1–3. But in no common adult cancer have the mutations that are critical in the early stages of the tumorigenic process been defined. We have attempted to determine if mutations of the APC gene play such a role in human colorectal tumours, which evolve from small benign tumours (adenomas) to larger malignant tumours (carcinomas) over the course of several decades. Here we report that sequence analysis of 41 colorectal tumours revealed that the majority of colorectal carcinomas (60%) and adenomas (63%) contained a mutated APC gene. Furthermore, the APC gene met two criteria of importance for tumour initiation. First, mutations of this gene were found in the earliest tumours that could be analysed, including adenomas as small as 0.5 cm in diameter. Second, the frequency of such mutations remained constant as tumours progressed from benign to malignant stages. These data provide strong evidence that mutations of the APC gene play a major role in the early development of colorectal neoplasms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Johns Hopkins Oncology Center, 424 North Bond Street, Baltimore, Maryland, 21231-1001, USA
    Steven M. Powell, Nathan Zilz, Yasmin Beazer-Barclay, Tracy M. Bryan, Bert Vogelstein & Kenneth W. Kinzler
  2. Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205-2196, USA
    Stanley R. Hamilton
  3. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, USA
    Stephen N. Thibodeau

Authors

  1. Steven M. Powell
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  2. Nathan Zilz
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  3. Yasmin Beazer-Barclay
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  4. Tracy M. Bryan
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  5. Stanley R. Hamilton
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  6. Stephen N. Thibodeau
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  7. Bert Vogelstein
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  8. Kenneth W. Kinzler
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Powell, S., Zilz, N., Beazer-Barclay, Y. et al. APC mutations occur early during colorectal tumorigenesis.Nature 359, 235–237 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/359235a0

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