Not all cancers are created equal: Tissue specificity in cancer genes and pathways

Tumors arise through waves of genetic alterations and clonal expansion that allow tumor cells to acquire cancer hallmarks, such as genome instability and immune evasion. Recent genomic analyses showed that the vast majority of cancer driver genes are mutated in a tissue-dependent manner, that is, are altered in some cancers but not others. Often the tumor type also affects the likelihood of therapy response. What is the origin of tissue specificity in cancer? Recent studies suggest that both cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic factors play a role. On one hand, cell type-specific wiring of the cell signaling network determines the outcome of cancer driver gene mutations. On the other hand, the tumor cells' exposure to tissue-specific microenvironments (e.g. immune cells) also contributes to shape the tissue specificity of driver genes and of therapy response. In the future, a more complete understanding of tissue specificity in cancer may inform methods to better predict and improve therapeutic outcomes.