Association between NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQ01) inactivating C609T polymorphism and adenocarcinoma of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

NQO1 is an antioxidant enzyme, important in the detoxification of environmental carcinogens. A single nucleotide polymorphism (C-->T) at position 609 of the NQO1 cDNA has been associated with susceptibility to tumours induced by chemical carcinogens. In our case-control study, we determined the prevalence of the C609T NQO1 polymorphism by PCR-RFLP analysis in Caucasian patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC; n=61), cardiac adenocarcinoma (CAC; n=120) or gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC; n=203) vs.

C-myc gene amplification in different stages of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma: prognostic value in relation to treatment modality.

Background: The proto-oncogene c-myc is known to be involved in the regulation of proliferation, apoptosis and cell differentiation.

Materials And Methods: Amplification of c-myc was determined by means of differential PCR in 77 surgically treated stage I or II oesophageal squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) as well as in 43 locally advanced SCC (cT3-4 cN0-1 cM0) treated by radiochemotherapy and facultatively by surgery. The findings were correlated to overall survival and to response to radiochemotherapy.