We have analysed DNA and RNA from 40 untreated head and neck cancers for amplified and overexpressed proto-oncogenes by Southern and Northern blot hybridisation. Coamplification but no expression of the bcl-1 and the hst genes was found in 12.5% of the patients. Furthermore, amplifications of c-myc were found in 10%, of Ha-ras and c-erbB-2 in 5%. c-erbB-2 amplification was accompanied by gene expression but no overexpression. Correlating our results with clinicopathological data of the patients amplifications were only found in stage III and IV disease (p=0.0164). No correlation was found between amplification and primary tumour site, histopathological differentiation of the tumours, response to induction chemotherapy, or survival. Our results indicate that oncogene amplification in advanced SCCHN reflects more the general genomic instability of advanced tumours than be a reason for tumour growth.

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