The use of genetic instability as a clinical tool for cancer diagnosis |
| |
Authors: | Bevilacqua R A Nunes D N Stroun M Anker P |
| |
Institution: | Laboratory of Cancer Genetics, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Rua Professor Ant?nio Prudente, 109, 4th floor, S?o Paulo, 01509-010, Brazil. |
| |
Abstract: | Human tumors exhibit two fundamentally important characteristics, extensive genetic alteration and clonality. Although it is still unclear to what extent tumors have an elevated mutational burden as compared with normal tissue, their clonality results in their ready detection. Thus, assaying tissues for clonal alterations at frequently mutated microsatellite loci represents a viable approach to cancer diagnosis. The most remarkable extension of this concept is that not only can cancer cells be detected in biological samples, but tumor DNA can also be directly detected in the serum or plasma of patients with some forms of cancer. This recent finding is currently being explored but may represent an important contribution to future diagnostic strategies. |
| |
Keywords: | human tumors extensive genetic alteration clonality |
本文献已被 ScienceDirect PubMed 等数据库收录! |
|