Cancer-causing mutations start years prior to diagnosis

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

The latest most comprehensive research shows cancer signs can be identified many years before diagnosis.

Mutations that cause cancer in genes were examined in 10 years of research that was published on Feb. 5 in the journal Nature with the participation of 1,300 scientists.

Forty-seven million genetic changes in more than 2,500 tumors in 38 cancer types were analyzed.

Scientists revealed genetic mutations are observed "especially early" in two types of brain tumors called ovarian cancer and "glioblastoma" and "medulloblastoma."

The study stressed that these dangerous changes in ovarian cancer started 10 - 20 years prior, and even very rarely it can be seen 40 - 50 years before getting cancer.

Experts stressed early mutations that led to the development of some types of cancer occur mostly in nine genes, and the discovery may facilitate a possible treatment.

The international team also discovered that DNA might have many different mutations at the same time.

It observed that 22 percent of the 2,500 tumors included in the research were broken at once from the DNA chain and the parts recombined irregularly.

It said the process is an important case in the development of many cancers, especially melanomas.

The study is a development that would enable children to be screened for genetic mutations to prevent them from getting cancer in the future.