RET oncogene

RET oncogene

A proto-oncogene on chromosome 10 that codes for one of the tyrosine kinase receptors. Several mutations are known and all of them are associated with thyroid tumours. A number of children living in the Chernobyl region at the time of the power station disaster have been found to have rearrangements of the RET oncogene. Thyroid cancers, normally very rare in children are now occurring much more frequently than usual.