More DNA Mutations May Mean Better Cancer Prognosis for Some

Findings recently published in the journal Neuro-Oncology suggest it may be possible to develop personalized treatments for more aggressive forms of brain cancer, including immunotherapy for hyper- or ultra- mutated tumors. A Yale Cancer Center-led comprehensive genomic analysis of more than 700 brain tumors revealed a subtype of the most malignant brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). This subtype possesses thousands of tumor-specific DNA errors or mutations — instead of dozens — observed in most GBM cases, associated with longer survival. “We have been able to translate various complementary cutting-edge genomic technologies, which were once solely research tools, to our clinical programs to analyze individual cancers,” said the study’s lead author. “We can now gain comprehensive understanding of the molecular make-up of a cancer to pinpoint specific vulnerabilities and leverage these weak spots for precision treatments in our Recurrent Brain Tumor Treatment Program.” While as many as 10,000 mutations were found in the newly described subset of glioblastomas, a more typical tumor contains less than 100. This counterintuitive pattern has also been observed in gynecological and colon cancers. One theory holds that cells with greater number of mutations are able to trigger an aggressive immune-system response against cancer cells, while cells with fewer mutations might escape detection, according to researchers. To read more about this study, click here.