They talk about an analysis «Without precedents», capable of revealing itself how they grow tumors: The ‘almost infinite’ ability of tumors to evolve and survive has been discovered in Great Britain, according to several scientists. The results of monitoring lung tumors for nine years left the research team «surprised and in awe» for the formidable force they were up against. The team concluded that more focus is needed «on prevention, with a universal cure», which however results unlikely. At least in the short term.
Cancer Research UK has announced that early detection of cancer it is vital. The study, titled TracerX, provides the most in-depth analysis of how cancers evolve and what causes them to spread. Cancers change and evolve over time: they are not fixed and immutable. They can become more aggressive: more “good” to evade the immune system and able to spread throughout the body. A tumor begins as a single cell “corrupt”, but becomes a mixture of millions of cells all mutated in slightly different ways. TracerX monitored that diversity and how it changes over time within lung cancer patients. The crux (the drama) is that the results would apply to «different types of cancer».
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«It has never been done before on this scale»explained Prof. Charles Swanton, of the Francis Crick Institute and of University College London. More than 400 people, treated in 13 hospitals in the UK, were being biopsied from different parts of the lung cancer as the disease progressed. «It surprised me how adaptable tumors can be, said Prof Swanton. I don’t want to sound too pessimistic or alarmist but I think of the almost infinite possibilities in which a tumor can evolve». Furthermore, the very large number of cells in an advanced stage cancer makes it necessary and urgent to get treatment in all patients with advanced stage disease». This is “a formidable task».
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Professor Swanton went on to add: «I don’t think we will be able to find universal cures. If we want to achieve maximum impact, we need to focus on prevention, early detection and early detection of relapses». Obesity, smoking, alcohol and poor diet increase the risk of battling cancer. Dealing well with inflammation in the body is also seen as a way to prevent cancer. Inflammation is the likely explanation for air pollution causing lung cancer and inflammatory bowel disease which increases the risk of colon cancer.
Study reveals cancer’s “almost infinite” ability to evolve
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) April 12, 2023
The evolutionary analysis was published in seven separate studies in the journals Nature and Nature Medicine. Research has shown that: The highly aggressive cells in the initial tumor are the ones that eventually end up spreading throughout the body.
Cancers that showed higher levels of genetic “chaos” were more likely to recur after surgery elsewhere in the body.
Blood testing for bits of tumor DNA meant that signs of its return could be spotted up to 200 days before they showed up on a CT scan.
The researchers hope that the findings could help them predict how a patient’s cancer will spread in the future and tailor the most appropriate treatment. Dr David Crosby, Head of Prevention and Early Detection at Cancer Research UK, explained: «The exciting results emerging from TracerX advance our understanding that cancer is an evolving disease as it progresses, meaning that late-stage cancers can become very difficult to treat successfully. This underscores the crucial importance of further research to help us detect cancers early in their development or, better yet, prevent them from appearing.».