MYC oncogenes and human neoplastic disease

c-myc, N-myc and L-myc are the three members of the myc oncoprotein family whose role in the pathogenesis of many human neoplastic diseases has receiv ed wide empirical support. In this review, we first summarize data, derived mainly from non-clinical studies, indicating that these oncoproteins actua lly serve quite different roles in vivo. This concept necessarily lies at t he heart of the basis for the observation that the deregulated expression o f each MYC gene is reproducibly associated with only certain naturally occu rring malignancies in humans and that these genes are not interchangeable w ith respect to their aberrant functional consequences. We also review evide nce implicating each of the above MYC genes in specific neoplastic diseases and have attempted to identify unresolved questions which deserve further basic or clinical investigation. We have made every attempt to review those diseases for which significant and confirmatory evidence, based on studies with primary tumor material, exists to implicate MYC members in their caus ation and/or progression.