The c-raf-1 oncogene is located at chromosome 3p25, near a region known to be specifically deleted in patients with renal cell carcinoma and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC).
The constitutional heterozygosity for the DNF15S2 locus and for one allele of the c-erbA beta and the c-raf-1 proto-oncogenes was lost in nonpapillary RCCs, whereas both alleles were retained in each papillary RCC analyzed.
Although cytogenetic studies have previously suggested nonrandom involvement of c-raf-1 gene in RCC, no abnormality in the size nor amount of raf transcript was detected in the 15 RCCs.