New understanding of breast cancer genes and mutations
Scientists have identified nine new genes that drive the development of breast cancer, taking the tally associated with this type of cancer to 40.
The team - led by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and involving researchers from The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) - examined all the genes in the genomes of 100 cases of breast cancer. To identify new cancer genes that lead to the development of breast cancer, the team searched for “driver mutations” in over 21,000 genes, and found evidence for nine new cancer genes involved in the development of this cancer.
The mutated cancer-causing genes were different in different cancer samples, indicating that breast cancer is genetically very diverse. Understanding the consequences of this diversity will be important in progressing towards more rational treatment.
Co-author Professor Jorge Reis-Filho, from the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre at the ICR, said: "This important study provides a detailed catalogue of the faulty genes across different types of breast cancer. We know that breast cancer is really complex, but now we have a much greater understanding of what drives its development."
