Cancer genomics articles from across Nature Portfolio

Insights from the TRACERx cohort suggest that the ORACLE biomarker might help to improve molecular prognostication in patients with lung tumors by accounting for spatiogenomic intratumor heterogeneity.

KRAS mutations are ubiquitous in pancreatic adenocarcinomas (PDACs) and are associated with poor outcomes. We leveraged a cohort of 2,336 PDAC tumors to characterize genomic subtypes and their prognostic correlates across clinical stages. A key finding is that shallow copy gains in KRAS mutant alleles are common and indicate unfavorable prognosis.

Loss of CDKN2A is known to drive the progression of several cancers, including esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Genetic analyses of samples of Barrett’s esophagus (EAC precursor condition) show that early loss of CDKN2A delays EAC initiation. Moreover, the concomitant loss of other genes in the same chromosomal locus has different effects depending on context.

Bacteria are able to withstand antibiotic treatment through three mechanisms, resistance, persistence or tolerance. Here, the authors investigate whether such mechanisms as defined in bacteria also apply to human cancer cells, finding that exposure to chemotherapy elicits an atavistic tolerant response in human cancer cells, providing key survival advantages.

In this Journal Club, Mariana Boroni recalls a 2012 study by Gerlinger et al. that revealed the complex and branched evolution of cancer and challenged the prevailing view of linear tumour progression.

Paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) highlights the challenges of drug development for rare diseases, in which limited patient numbers and substantial heterogeneity hinder progress. Traditional one-size-fits-all randomized trials are ineffective. Nonetheless, tailored therapies and biomarker-driven studies can improve outcomes and transform the treatment of paediatric patients with AML and potentially other rare cancers.

Insights from the TRACERx cohort suggest that the ORACLE biomarker might help to improve molecular prognostication in patients with lung tumors by accounting for spatiogenomic intratumor heterogeneity.

KRAS mutations are ubiquitous in pancreatic adenocarcinomas (PDACs) and are associated with poor outcomes. We leveraged a cohort of 2,336 PDAC tumors to characterize genomic subtypes and their prognostic correlates across clinical stages. A key finding is that shallow copy gains in KRAS mutant alleles are common and indicate unfavorable prognosis.

Loss of CDKN2A is known to drive the progression of several cancers, including esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Genetic analyses of samples of Barrett’s esophagus (EAC precursor condition) show that early loss of CDKN2A delays EAC initiation. Moreover, the concomitant loss of other genes in the same chromosomal locus has different effects depending on context.