Open AccessVariability of Solid Cancer Cell Population and Its Consequences for Cancer Diagnostics and Treatment
Author(s) -
Brychtová,
Valík,
Borek Vojtesek
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
klinická onkologie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.204
H-Index - 13
eISSN - 1802-5307
pISSN - 0862-495X
DOI - 10.14735/amko20182s5
Subject(s) - somatic evolution in cancer , biology , cancer , epigenetics , computational biology , evolutionary biology , genetic heterogeneity , population , precision medicine , tumor progression , genetics , phenotype , gene , medicine , environmental health
Cancer develops as a result of somatic mutations and evolutionary processes with a Darwinian character. Tumors evolve by dynamic clonal expansion and selection to form genetically diverse cell subpopulations adapted to different tumor microenvironmental conditions. Within cancer cells, the genome is shaped by various selective pressures. Cancer evolution often follows a branched trajectory with divergent subclones evolving simultaneously. Clonal diversity within the same tumor results in genetic, epigenetic and phenotypic variability in tumor mass, which represents a major obstacle for the development of efficient diagnostics and personalized treatment. Advances in sequencing techniques have enabled a better understanding of the growth, progression and response to cancer treatment in heterogeneous cancers. Concurrently, understanding the mechanisms involved and monitoring changes in cancer clones during disease progression may improve the efficiency of cancer therapy.