The aim of this investigation was to analyze the association between a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in L-myc gene (T3109G) and ovarian cancer risk or prognosis in Korean women.

The blood samples of 98 ovarian cancer patients and 332 non-cancer control subjects who managed at Seoul National University Hospital from 1999 to 2002 were collected. Polymorphism in L-myc (T3109G) was determined using TaqMan method. Allele frequency and genotype distribution in the ovarian cancer group were compared with those of the control group to determine whether this polymorphism elevates the susceptibility of Korean women to ovarian cancer. The relationship between this SNP and cancer invasiveness or prognosis were also evaluated by collating clinicopathologic data of those in the cancer group, such as surgical stage, stromal invasion, histologic type, and survival.

In the ovarian cancer group, the allele frequency of G was 51.0%, in the control group 48.5%, showing no significant difference (p=0.569). Similarly the genotypes with TG or GG showed no increased risk for ovarian cancer susceptibility compared with TT genotype. A subgroup analysis of the clinicopathologic parameters in cancer group also showed no significant difference suggesting the lack of an association between SNP of the L-myc and ovarian cancer invasiveness and survival.

This study shows that Korean women with specific polymorphism in L-myc are neither more susceptible to develop ovarian cancer nor more vulnerable for cancer progression.