Genetic basis of pituitary adenoma invasiveness: A review

Compatible with contemporary paradigms of the role of genetic aberrations i n the progression of human tumors, the growth of pituitary tumors into a st ate of invasiveness appears to be due to genetic alterations. Amplification of H-ras and c-myc oncogenes and mutations of p53, nm23 and Rb genes have been identified disproportionately more in aggressive tumors and, in the ca se of Rb gene, in pituitary carcinomas, providing evidence that amplificati on of these oncogenes (H-ras and c-myc) and inactivation of tumor suppresso r genes (p53, nm23 and Rb) seem to be at least one mechanism by which pitui tary tumors progress. The current level of management of invasive pituitary adenomas should become more comprehensive as the advances in our understan ding of genetic basis of pituitary adenoma invasiveness becomes translated into development of novel chemotherapy or gene transferbreak technique.