An international collaboration led by USC compiled the most comprehensive list of genetic variants associated with prostate cancer risk through a whole-genome analysis that ranks as the largest and most diverse investigation into prostate cancer genetics yet.
For over 50 years, scientists have been on a quest to identify which malignant mutations within the tumor allow rogue cells to break away from the primary tumor and travel through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to metastasize throughout the body. Now, new research suggests an alternative mechanism has been overlooked—elusive mutations driving metastasis may not be developing within the twisted DNA of tumors themselves, but within the patient’s regular, inherited DNA.
