Whole genome sequencing of hepatocellular carcinoma tumors and their matched noncancerous liver tissues and the background germline

We performed whole-genome sequencing on multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma tumors and their matched noncancerous liver tissues and the background germline. We found that the noncancerous liver tissues presented varying degrees of genomic alterations that were associated with the background liver diseases. Most of the genomic alterations in the metastatic tumors were inherited from the primary tumor and a small number developed de novo. Few genomic alterations were shared between the multicentric tumors with the exception of the alterations that also existed in the noncancerous liver tissue. Our findings reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying intra-individual tumor evolution on the basis of a global perspective of each lesion. This provides evidence and molecular tools for, in its true sense, personalized molecular cancer medicine.

• Type: Whole Genome Sequencing
• Archive: European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA)