ASSOCIATION OF K-RAS CODON-12 TRANSVERSIONS WITH SHORT SURVIVAL IN NONSMALL CELL LUNG-CANCER

K-ras activating point mutations appear to have a role in human lung c ancer, however, the prognostic significance of these abnormalities rem ains unclear. The aim of our work was to clarify the role of K-ras mut ations as prognostic indicators in patients affected by non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We studied 94 resected primary NSCLCs for K-ras mutations by the PCR-RFLP technique, followed by sequencing. K-ras act ivating mutations were present in 34% of tumors, a higher incidence be ing detected in adenocarcinomas. Comparing the impact of K-ras mutatio n types, we found that K-ras transversions were associated with a shor ter survival in NSCLC.