Scientists uncover genetic fingerprints linked to aggressive prostate cancer
By: Communications
Scientists have uncovered new clues that could help identify which prostate cancers are most likely to spread, and which are less likely to become life-threatening, in the first major findings from an international project co-founded by the University of East Anglia (UEA).
The study identified eight distinct genetic 'fingerprints' that together account for around 85 per cent of prostate cancers. Four of these were linked to cancers that were more likely to spread, offering important new insights into why some tumours are aggressive while others remain slow growing.
Researchers hope the findings, published today in the journal Nature, will help pave the way for more accurate identification of high-risk cancers and ultimately support more personalised approaches to diagnosis and treatment.
The research is the first major publication from the Pan Prostate Cancer Group (PPCG), a global initiative jointly established by researchers at UEA and The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London.
The collaboration has brought together researchers from nine countries and molecular data from more than 2,000 prostate cancers, creating one of the world's most comprehensive resources for studying the disease.
Prof Colin Cooper, from UEA's Norwich Medical School and co-founder of the Pan Prostate Cancer Group, said: "Prostate cancer is not one disease. Two men can be diagnosed with prostate cancer but experience very different outcomes, and one of the biggest questions has been understanding why.
"By bringing together molecular data from more than 2,000 prostate cancers, and researchers from nine countries, we've created one of the most detailed resources ever assembled for studying the disease.
"The scale of collaboration has helped uncover important new clues about the biological processes that drive prostate cancer and why some forms are more aggressive than others.
"Taken together, these findings are helping us build a much clearer picture of why some cancers remain slow growing while others become life-threatening.
"Ultimately, we hope this knowledge will lead to better tests, earlier identification of high-risk cancers and more personalised care, so that more patients receive the right treatment at the right time."
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK and the second most diagnosed cancer in men worldwide. More than 1.4 million men are diagnosed with the disease each year, yet scientists still do not fully understand why some prostate cancers remain relatively harmless while others become aggressive and spread.
Led by researchers at the University of Copenhagen and Rigshospitalet, the study analysed DNA from almost 1,000 prostate tumours and uncovered eight major genetic fingerprints linked to the development of the disease.
Researchers found that four of these genetic fingerprints were associated with cancers that were more likely to spread, while others were linked to age and ancestry, including patterns that were more common in Black men, who face a significantly higher risk of developing and dying from prostate cancer.
The study is the first in a series of 10 papers expected from the PPCG dataset, which was established to help answer some of the biggest unanswered questions in prostate cancer research.
The researchers say the next step is to develop and test molecular classification systems based on these findings, with the aim of helping doctors identify aggressive cancers earlier and make treatment decisions based on the biology of individual tumours.
Prof Joachim Weischenfeldt, a professor at the University of Copenhagen, and lead author of the study, said: "It is remarkable how much clinical significance these genetic fingerprints appear to have. They can help distinguish between patients who are developing life-threatening cancer and those who are not.
"While further clinical studies are needed before these findings can be used in patient care, they bring us a step closer to understanding the biology that drives aggressive prostate cancer and to delivering more personalised treatment for patients."
The research was co-funded in the UK by Prostate Cancer UK and Cancer Research UK, alongside support from a range of national and international organisations contributing to the collaboration.
Dr Hayley Luxton, Head of Research Impact and Engagement at Prostate Cancer UK, said: "Prostate Cancer UK is dedicated to funding innovative research such as this, and we’re proud to have supported this research, including funding from our Transformational Impact Awards.
"It’s important to back research that deepens our understanding of prostate cancer and gets us to a world where men diagnosed can live longer and better lives."
Prof Kristian Helin, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, said: "At the ICR, we believe that major advances against cancer come from combining scientific excellence with collaboration at scale.
"This work exemplifies that approach and brings us closer to a future in which treatment decisions are guided by a deep biological understanding of each patient's disease."
'Mutational processes shape aggressive prostate cancer' is published in Nature on September 9.
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