Cancers are ecosystems of genetically related clones, competing across space and time for limited resources. To understand the clonal structure of primary breast cancer, we applied genome and targeted sequencing to 295 samples from 49 patients’ tumors. The extent of subclonal diversification varied considerably among patients and encompassed many spatial patterns, including local growth, intraductal dissemination and clonal intermixture. Landmarks of disease progression, such as acquiring ... (Show More)

Cancers are ecosystems of genetically related clones, competing across space and time for limited resources. To understand the clonal structure of primary breast cancer, we applied genome and targeted sequencing to 295 samples from 49 patients’ tumors. The extent of subclonal diversification varied considerably among patients and encompassed many spatial patterns, including local growth, intraductal dissemination and clonal intermixture. Landmarks of disease progression, such as acquiring invasive or metastatic potential, arose within detectable subclones of antecedent lesions, suggesting that subclonal mutations could be relevant if actionable. No defined temporal order of mutation was evident, with the commonest genes, including PIK3CA,... (Read more)

We propose to definitively characterise the somatic genetics of Metastatic breast cancer through generation of comprehensive catalogues of somatic mutations in Metastatic breast cancer cases by high coverage genome sequencing coupled with integrated transcriptomic and methylation analyses.

We propose to definitively characterise the somatic genetics of Metastatic breast cancer through generation of comprehensive catalogues of somatic mutations in Metastatic breast cancer cases by high coverage genome sequencing coupled with integrated transcriptomic and methylation analyses.

We propose to definitively characterise the somatic genetics of breast cancer through generation of comprehensive catalogues of somatic mutations in breast cancer cases by high coverage genome sequencing coupled with integrated transcriptomic and methylation analyses.

We propose to definitively characterise the somatic genetics of breast cancer through generation of comprehensive catalogues of somatic mutations in breast cancer cases by high coverage genome sequencing coupled with integrated transcriptomic and methylation analyses.

Frequent somatic transfer of mitochondrial DNA into the nuclear genome of human cancer cells

Frequent somatic transfer of mitochondrial DNA into the nuclear genome of human cancer cells

Recurrent breast cancer is almost universally fatal. We characterize 170 patients locally relapsed or distant metastatic cancers using massively parallel sequencing. We identify that the relapse-seeding clone disseminates late from the primary tumor. TP53 and AKT1 appear to be enriched in ER-positive cancers predisposed to relapse. Mutation acquisition continues at relapse as the same mutation signatures continue to operate and new signatures, such as that caused by radiotherapy appear de novo. ... (Show More)

Recurrent breast cancer is almost universally fatal. We characterize 170 patients locally relapsed or distant metastatic cancers using massively parallel sequencing. We identify that the relapse-seeding clone disseminates late from the primary tumor. TP53 and AKT1 appear to be enriched in ER-positive cancers predisposed to relapse. Mutation acquisition continues at relapse as the same mutation signatures continue to operate and new signatures, such as that caused by radiotherapy appear de novo. In 49% of cases we identify drivers mutations private to the relapse and these are sampled from a wider range of cancer genes, including SWI-SNF complex and JAK-STAT signaling.