PTEN is a newly isolated candidate tumor suppressor gene and its mutation is the most frequently found in endometrial cancer (EC), a very common female pelvic malignant disease. Mutations of the KRAS gene are also reported in this disease. Recent analysis of the PTEN protein suggested the possibility that this protein acts in the same pathway as does the RAS protein. To elucidate this possibility further, we performed a mutation analysis of these two genes in 44 endometrial cancer specimens (38 primary tumors and 6 cell lines). Altogether 23 (52%) of 44 tumors had mutations in either PTEN or KRAS, but none of them had mutations in both of these genes. These results support the idea that the protein products of these two genes act in the same growth regulatory pathway in the endometrium.

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