Genetic blueprint for cancerous appendix tumors identified
Monday, May 12, 2014 - 18:30
in Health & Medicine
Using next generation DNA sequencing, scientists have identified potentially actionable mutations in cancers of the appendix. When specific mutations for a cancer type are identified, patients can be treated with chemotherapy or other targeted agents that work on those mutations. Little is known about the molecular biology of two types of appendix tumors, low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm (LAMN) and adenocarcinoma, but both can lead to pseudomyxoma peritonea (PMP), a critical condition in which cancerous cells grow uncontrollably along the wall of the abdomen and can crush digestive organs.