The central role of c-Myc protein in accelerating cell proliferation, documented by many early studies, has led to a general concept for many types of cancer that amplification or overexpression of this gene may be associated with a more aggressive tumour and a poorer patient survival (Berns et al, 1992; Marcu et al, 1992; Sato et al, 1995; Nass and Dickson, 1997; Nesbit et al, 1999; Visca et al, 1999; Liao and Dickson, 2000). This evidence concerns the gene MYC and neoplasm.