Proto-oncogenes and prognosis in early carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Although in developed countries the incidence of cervical cancer seems to be declining, it remains a serious health problem. One major concern is the absence of prognostic factors which reliably predict the evolution of early cancers. It is believed that human papillomaviruses are important aetiological factors and their detection in precancerous lesions is a risk factor for malignant transformation. If these viruses seem to have a role in the initiation of cervical cancer, other factors may be necessary to the malignant transformation. Among those, certain proto-oncogenes (c-myc and c-Ha-ras) seem to be involved in the development and progression of cancer. Detection of gene alterations (mutation, deletion, amplification) and gene overexpression in early invasive cancers could be useful to establish a more reliable prognosis. A better surveillance of these high risk patients and a more appropriate treatment could then be selected.