Conclusions
RFC3 is a candidate oncogene amplified in EAC. RFC3 DNA amplification is also prevalent in other epithelial cancer types and RFC3 expression could serve as a prognostic marker.
Purpose
Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a lethal malignancy that can develop from the premalignant condition, Barrett's esophagus (BE). Currently, there are no validated simple
Results
We identified RFC3 as a novel, candidate oncogene activated by amplification in approximately 25% of EAC samples. RFC3 was also amplified in BE from a patient whose EAC harbored amplification and was differentially expressed between nonmalignant and EAC tissues. Copy number gains were detected in other cancer types and RFC3 knockdown inhibited proliferation and anchorage-independent growth of cancer cells with increased copy number but had little effect on those without. Moreover, high RFC3 expression was associated with poor patient outcome in multiple cancer types. Conclusions: RFC3 is a candidate oncogene amplified in EAC. RFC3 DNA amplification is also prevalent in other epithelial cancer types and RFC3 expression could serve as a prognostic marker.