One of the most striking features about tumors is that they have many, many mutations, all over the genome. To make things more complicated, not every cell in a tumor will have the same set of mutations. A tumor is a very heterogeneous (mixed) bunch of cells. The presence of so many mutations led researchers [Read More →]
For men, prostate cancer accounts for 25% of all cancer cases. But diagnosing the cancer is not without controversy. The usual method of detecting the cancer is by screening for Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA), which can lead to early detection and treatment of the disease. Some studies have shown that the PCA test results in high [Read More →]
Studying the genetics of cancer often involves looking specifically at cancerous cells (that is, tumor cells) and asking what is different about those cells than the regular cells they were before. For example, what mutations are present in the DNA of a cancer cell, that could be the cause of the cancer? Also… different genes [Read More →]
The recent publication of two “Cancer Genomes” in Nature has caused some buzz concerning the actual relevance of these findings. Let’s take a look at what was actually studied, and why it’s so exciting. Each person has their own genome, that is, ALL of our DNA, which is unique to each person. So what is [Read More →]
