Lessons from an aggressive cancer: evolutionary dynamics in esophageal carcinoma.
Rapid progression to metastatic disease and an intrinsic resistance to any type of systemic therapy are hallmarks of aggressive solid cancers. The molecular basis for this phenotype is not clear. A detailed study of the somatic progression from local to early systemic esophageal cancer revealed rapid diversification of cancer cells isolated from various sites, but also evidence for early clonal expansion. These findings have implications for diagnostic pathology and therapeutic decision making.
Klein
Christoph A
CA
Department of Pathology, Division of Oncogenomics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. christoph.klein@klinik.uni-regensburg.de
Stoecklein
Nikolas H
NH
D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018450:Disease Progression; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics
D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases