Dynamics of cancer cell subpopulations in primary and metastatic colorectal tumors.

ABSTRACT: Intratumor heterogeneity-heterogeneity of cancer cells within a single tumor-is considered one of the most problematic factors of treatment. Genetic heterogeneity, such as in somatic mutations and chromosome aberrations, is a common characteristic of human solid tumors and is probably the basis of biological heterogeneity. Using mutations in APC, TP53 and KRAS as markers to identify distinct colorectal cancer subpopulations, we analyzed a total of 42 primary colorectal cancer tissues and six paired liver metastases with multipoint microsampling, which enabled analysis of mutation patterns and allelic imbalances with a resolution of 0.01 mm(2) (about 200 cells). There was usually more than one subpopulation in each primary tumor. Only two of 15 (13.3%) cases with three gene mutations and ei

SUBMITTER: Goranova TE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3081061 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature