Cancer Research UK scientists have shown that accidental DNA doubling in bowel cancer cells could predict which patients have potentially poor survival and help doctors plan their treatment, according to research published in Cancer Discovery.
In a two year study the team at Cancer Research UK’s London Research Institute grew normal bowel cancer cells with just one set of genes, alongside cancer cells containing exactly the same genetic information – but doubled.
The team found that cancer cells with doubled genomes were highly unstable and rapidly accumulated further genetic damage. Cancer genome doubling enables tumours to evolve rapidly and develop diversity. In turn this diversity is a contributing factor to cancer drug resistance.
Read the full, original story: Double dose of genes can trigger poor cancer survival
