Genetic and epigenetic alterations in normal tissues have differential impacts on cancer risk among tissues
Abstract
The relative importance of genetic and epigenetic alterations in normal tissues on cancer risk was clearly different between esophageal squamous cell and gastric cancers, implying a variety of differences in various types of cancers. The difference observed was well explained by known etiologies: tobacco mutagens for esophageal cancer and chronic inflammation for epigenetic alterations in gastric cancer. The study showed that, if epigenetic and genetic alterations in normal tissues are combined, reflecting their relative contributions, patients with cancer can be precisely discriminated, opening up an avenue to precision cancer risk diagnosis. The study also indicated that for effective cancer prevention, allocation of resources and efforts against genetic and epigenetic alterations should consider their relative contributions.
- Publication:
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- February 2018
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.1717340115
- Bibcode:
- 2018PNAS..115.1328Y