Basic Facts of NUT Carcinoma
NUT carcinoma, (formerly known as NUT-midline
carcinoma/ NMC), is an aggressive cancer that often forms in
the lungs, head, and neck.
NUT carcinoma is a poorly differentiated squamous cell
cancer, meaning the cancer begins in normal squamous cells
in the body. Squamous cells normally line hollow organs,
such as the respiratory tract. NUT carcinoma is defined by a
specific genetic alteration known as a fusion oncogene. A
fusion oncogene is made by joining parts of two different
genes together. In the case of NUT carcinoma, the NUT gene
is joined to another gene (usually BRD4, but in some cases
BRD3, NSD3, BRD2 or ZNF532). This gene fusion causes the formation of abnormally activated NUT proteins that signals
the squamous cells to grow and divide, leading to a cancer.