Amplification of the N-myc oncogene in an adenocarcinoma cell line of the lung.

Myc gene abnormalities were studied in 30 human lung cancer cell lines. N-myc gene amplification was found in an adenocarcinoma cell line, VMRC-LCD. Neither c- or L-myc gene amplifications nor K-ras codon 12, 13, 61 point mutations were observed in this tumor. Cytomorphologically the VMRC-LCD cells had positive characteristics of typical adenocarcinoma, and the carcinoembryonic antigen in the culture medium was strongly positive. N-myc gene amplification in adenocarcinoma of the lung is extremely rare, therefore we report herein on this case.