The secrets of 2700 cancers have been revealed: How will it help us?

Professor Melissa Southey
Scientist

Scientists have revealed the detailed genetic make-up of thousands of cancer samples, yielding new insights into the genes that drive the many and varied forms of the disease.

The results, published in a landmark collection of research papers in the journal Nature, interpret the complete DNA sequences, or cancer genomes, of 2658 cancer samples. This will further our understanding of the crucial ‘driver’ mutations that underpin cancer development, and offer potential as targets for treatments, such as chemotherapy.