Definition

A laboratory test in which cells in a sample of tumor tissue or bone marrow are checked to see how many copies of the MYCN gene are in the tumor DNA. MYCN is important for cell growth. Having more than 10 copies of the gene is called MYCN gene amplification. Tumors with MYCN gene amplification, such as neuroblastoma, are more likely to spread in the body and less likely to respond to treatment.