'Wildly heterogeneous genes: New approach subtypes cancers by shared genetic effects; a step toward personalized medicine

New approach subtypes cancers by shared genetic effects

....Every patient's cancer is genetically unique, which can affect the efficacy and outcomes of clinical treatment.
"When you look at patients' data at the level of genes, everybody looks different," said Ideker. "But when you look at impacted biological networks and systems, groupings do appear. No genes are mutated in exactly the same place, but the mutations do appear in the same genetic pathways."
Specifically, the scientists looked at somatic mutations -- present in tumors but not healthy tissues -- in data from lung, uterine and ovarian cancer patients compiled by The Cancer Genome Atlas, an on-going National Institutes of Health-funded program to gather and catalogue the genomes of thousands of cancer patients.
Ideker said the NBS approach has immediate clinical value.....