Prognostic Value of c-MYC Expression in Patients with Peripheral Neuroblastic Tumors

OBJECTIVE: Neuroblastic tumors are the most common solid tumors in children. The aim of this study was to explore the prognostic value of immunostaining for cellular-myelocytomatosis viral oncogene (c-MYC) expression in patients with peripheral neuroblastic tumors (NTs). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted to compare the expression of c-MYC detected by immunohistochemistry and v-myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene neuroblastoma derived homolog (MYCN) by fluorescence in situ hybridization among 177 cases of NTs and determine the associations of c-MYC and MYCN with the clinical stages, morphological types, and survival rates of NTs. RESULTS: The cases positive for c-MYC were mainly the favorable histology type in stage 3 or 4 with a poor NT prognosis, but no morphological changes related to the poor prognosis were observed in their samples under a microscope. The cases with positive c-MYC expression did not overlap those with MYCN amplification. CONCLUSION: Positive c-MYC expression portends a poor prognosis in patients with NTs.