title: Somatic evolution of cancer cells.
abstract: Cancers develop through a process called genomic instability, which generates diversity, from which clonal evolution may occur. In colorectal cancers, this process has been extensively studied, and there are three identifiable processes involved in generating diversity at the genetic or epigenetic level. Colorectal cancers may have chromosomal instability (CIN), microsatellite instability (MSI), or the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP). Each of these processes is associated with a unique mutational or epigenetic "signature" identifiable in the tumor cells, and there are important conceptual and clinical implications of each.
authors.affiliation: GI Cancer Research Laboratory, Baylor University Medical Center, H-250, 3500 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, TX 75246, USA. rickbo@baylorhealth.edu
authors.forename: C Richard
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Boland
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goel
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics*; D043171:Chromosomal Instability; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D042822:Genomic Instability; D006801:Humans; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm