Examining 12 major types of cancer, scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine have identified 127 repeatedly mutated genes that appear to drive the development and progression of a range of tumors. The discovery sets the stage for devising new diagnostic tools and more personalized cancer treatments.
The research, published Oct. 17 in Nature, shows that some of the same genes commonly mutated in certain cancers also occur in seemingly unrelated tumors. For example, a gene mutated in 25% of leukemia cases also was found in tumors of the breast, rectum, head and neck, kidney, lung, ovary, and uterus.
Looking at a large number of tumors across many different cancers gave the researchers the statistical power they needed to identify significantly mutated genes. They analyzed the genes from 3,281 tumors—a collection of cancers of the breast, uterus, head and neck, colon and rectum, bladder, kidney, ovary, lung, brain, and blood. In addition to finding common links among genes in different cancers, the researchers also identified a number of mutations exclusive to particular cancer types. These genetic errors occur frequently in some cancers and rarely in others but are thought to be important to cancer growth.
Based on the findings, the researchers envision that a single test that surveys errors in a swath of cancer genes eventually could become part of the standard diagnostic workup for most cancers. Results of such testing could guide treatment decisions for patients based on the unique genetic signatures of their tumors. Read the article.
