Huge genetic study uncovers new clues to the causes of cancer
The team says the unprecedented amount of data allowed them to discover new patterns in cancer DNA - hinting at reasons that are not yet understood.
They add that the genetic clues will ultimately help improve diagnosis and treatment.
The research is published in Science.
Cancer can be thought of as a corrupted version of our healthy cells - mutations to our DNA change our cells until eventually they grow and divide uncontrollably.
Traditionally many cancers have been categorised by doctors based on where they are in the body and the type of cells involved - but whole genome sequencing can provide another layer of crucial information.
DNA analysis of thousands of tumours from NHS patients has found a ‘treasure trove of clues about the causes of cancer, with genetic mutations providing a personal history of the damage and repair processes each patient has been through.
In the most significant study of its kind, a team of scientists led by Professor Serena Nik-Zainal from Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) and the University of Cambridge analysed the complete genetic make-up or whole-genome sequences (WGS) of more than 12,000 NHS cancer patients.
Because of the vast amount of data provided by whole genome sequencing, the researchers were able to detect patterns in the DNA of cancer or ‘mutational signatures’ that provide clues about whether a patient has had a past exposure to environmental causes of cancer such as smoking or UV light, or has internal, cellular malfunctions.
The team were also able to spot 58 new mutational signatures, suggesting that there are additional causes of cancer that we don't yet fully understand.
Dr Degasperi, research associate at the University of Cambridge and first author, said:
"With thousands of mutations per cancer, we have unprecedented power to look for commonalities and differences across NHS patients, and in doing so we uncovered 58 new mutational signatures.
"Some of these are common patterns while others are rare, but they may have important clinical or treatment implications".
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