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Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell

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Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 29, 2025

Detecting Somatic Genetic Alterations in Tumor Specimens by Exon Capture and Massively Parallel Sequencing

Detecting Somatic Genetic Alterations in Tumor Specimens by Exon Capture and Massively Parallel Sequencing

Published on: October 18, 2013

Normal Somatic Mutations in Cancer Transformation.

Neshika Wijewardhane¹, Lisa Dressler², Francesca D Ciccarelli¹

¹Cancer Systems Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK; School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK.

|November 21, 2020

Summary

Understanding the genetic events in normal cells before cancer develops is crucial. Mapping somatic mutations in healthy tissues reveals early changes that drive tumorigenesis.

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Next Generation Sequencing for the Detection of Actionable Mutations in Solid and Liquid Tumors

Next Generation Sequencing for the Detection of Actionable Mutations in Solid and Liquid Tumors

Published on: September 20, 2016

Area of Science:

Genetics
Cancer Biology
Genomic Medicine

Background:

Gene alterations are key drivers of cancer initiation and progression.
The specific genetic events occurring in normal cells before cancer forms remain largely unknown.
Recent advancements allow for the mapping of somatic mutations in normal human tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the implications of somatic mutations in normal tissues for understanding early tumorigenesis.
To bridge the knowledge gap regarding the genetic landscape of pre-cancerous cells.

Main Methods:

Analysis of somatic mutation data from normal human tissues.
Review of recent studies mapping genetic alterations in non-cancerous cells.

Main Results:

Somatic mutations are detectable in normal tissues, indicating ongoing genetic changes prior to tumor formation.
These early genetic alterations provide insights into the initial steps of cancer development.

Conclusions:

Mapping somatic mutations in normal tissues is essential for a comprehensive understanding of tumorigenesis.
Identifying pre-cancerous genetic events can inform early detection and prevention strategies.