Ontological analyses reveal clinically-significant clear cell renal cell carcinoma subtypes with convergent evolutionary trajectories into an aggressive type.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a particularly challenging tumor type because of its extensive phenotypic variability as well as intra-tumoral heterogeneity (ITH). Clinically, this complexity has been reduced to a handful of pathological variables such as stage, grade and necrosis, but these variables fail to capture the breadth of the disease. How different phenotypes affect patient prognosis and influence therapeutic response is poorly understood. Extensive ITH illustrates remarkable plasticity, providing a framework to study tumor evolution. While multiregional genomic analyses have shown evolution from an ancient clone that acquires metastatic competency over time, these studies have been conducted agnostic to morphological cues and phenotypic plasticity.<

SUBMITTER: Cai Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7000318 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature