Former Damon Runyon Scholar Peter S. Nelson, MD, and colleagues at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have completed the first comprehensive analysis of the advanced prostate cancer genome, identifying key genetic mutations that drive the disease and help it resist treatment.
While progress against prostate cancer has been significant, several forms of the disease remain highly lethal and stubbornly resistant to standard treatment. “The most interesting finding…was the discovery of three aggressive tumor types that had 10 times the number of mutations compared to the other advanced prostate cancers we studied,” Peter said. “We don’t know the cause of these hypermutated tumors, but the frequency of the mutations suggests these tumors might evolve very rapidly to develop resistance to therapies.”
These results mark the first time scientists have been able to identify the unique genetic mutations that distinguish advanced prostate tumors from each other and their less-lethal cousins.
Equipped with these new insights, scientists can begin the critically-needed research necessary to develop new ways to detect and treat advanced prostate cancer.
Quotes adapted from ScienceDaily.com
