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Detection and temporal appearance of multiple copies of c-erb-B2 genes in advanced mammary carcinoma using fine needle biopsies and the polymerase chain reaction

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Abstract

Aspiration of tumor cells by the fine-needle biopsy method yields only a small number of cells, which hampers conventional molecular analysis for the presence of multiple copies of oncogenes. We have therefore adopted the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to study semi-quantitatively the level of the c-erb-B2 gene in human breast tumor samples. Of 39 patients with mammary carcinoma, 7 (19%) contained multiple copies of c-erb-B2 genes, whereas only two samples failed to give informative data. Next the temporal appearance of multiple gene copies was examined in 20 patients with clinical stage IV disease. Tumor samples were obtained every second to third month from the same tumor lesion of each patient. None of the initial samples from each patient contained multiple copies of c-erb-B2. Of 16 patients that showed progressive clinical disease, 5 developed multiple gene copies, showing that the event occurs in clinical stage IV disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radiumhemmet, Karolinska Hospital, PO Box 60500, S-104 01, Stockholm, Sweden

    Ulf Lönn, Sigrid Lönn & Urban Nylen

  2. Division of Cytology, Department of Pathology, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    Björn Stenkvist

  3. Dept. of Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Björn Vennström

Authors
  1. Ulf Lönn
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  2. Sigrid Lönn
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  3. Urban Nylen
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  4. Björn Stenkvist
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  5. Björn Vennström
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Lönn, U., Lönn, S., Nylen, U. et al. Detection and temporal appearance of multiple copies of c-erb-B2 genes in advanced mammary carcinoma using fine needle biopsies and the polymerase chain reaction. Breast Cancer Res Tr 23, 191–200 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01833515

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