Prostate cancer has variable manifestations, ranging from relatively benign localized tumors to widespread life-threatening metastases. The origin of most prostate cancer metastases can be traced back to the primary tumor; therefore, understanding the mutations in the primary tumor that promote cancer spread is of great interest. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation , Srinivasan Yegnasubramanian and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University track the development of lethal prostate cancer in a patient. Using tissue samples taken throughout the progression of the cancer, the authors identified the origin of the lethal clone. Surprisingly, in this case the lethal clone originated from a small, low-grade foci in the primary tumor and not from the larger high-grade region of the tumor. In the accompanying commentary, Rose Brannon and Charles Sawyers of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center discuss the importance of individual case studies and how a comprehensive database of such studies is needed to identify common patterns in cancer progression.
TITLE: Tracking the clonal origin of lethal prostate cancer
AUTHOR CONTACT: Michael C. Haffner
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
Phone: 4106142676; Fax: ; E-mail: michael.c.haffner@gmail.com
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ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY
TITLE: "N of 1" case reports in the era of whole-genome sequencing
AUTHOR CONTACT: Charles Sawyers
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
Phone: 646-888-2138; Fax: ; E-mail: sawyersc@mskcc.org
Journal of Clinical Investigation