Minimal functional driver gene heterogeneity among untreated metastases

Abstract

Treatment decisions for cancer patients are increasingly guided by analysis of the gene mutations that drive primary tumor growth. Relatively little is known about driver gene mutations in metastases, which cause most cancer-related deaths. Reiter et al. explored whether the growth of different metastatic lesions within an individual patient is fueled by the same or distinct gene mutations. In a study of 76 untreated metastases from 20 patients with different types of cancer, all metastases within a patient shared the same functional driver gene mutations. Thus, analysis of a single biopsy could help oncologists select the optimal therapy for patients with widespread metastatic disease.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Sep 07, 2018
Source ID
10.1126/science.aat7171

Entities

People

  • Alexander Heyde
  • Alexia Brown
  • Alvin P. Makohon-moore
  • Amanda Zucker
  • Bert Vogelstein
  • Christine A Iacobuzio-Donahue
  • Collin J Tokheim
  • Jeffrey M Gerold
  • Johannes G Reiter
  • Juliana Niyazov
  • Kenneth W. Kinzler
  • Marc A Attiyeh
  • Martin A. Nowak
  • Rachel Karchin
  • Rayne M DeBlasio
  • Zachary A Kohutek

Organizations

  • Austrian Science Fund
  • Harvard University
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
  • Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Office of Naval Research
  • Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Stanford University

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Molecular and Cellular Biology
  • Molecular and genetic basis of cancer.