5 Topic Commentaries

Reading Skin Cancer’s Molecular Fingerprint

Reading Skin Cancer’s Molecular Fingerprint

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  Arun Pandiri, Ph.D.

  Molecular pathology; toxicologic pathology

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  National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health

  Mutational signatures are one type of molecular fingerprint of exposure with some important successes, but other molecular signatures are needed to identify exposures that do not result in DNA mutations but affect the carcinogenic process.

  Source
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  Tina J. Hieken, M.D.

  Surgical oncology (melanoma)

  •

  Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center

  This test lets us use a patient's own tumor biology to guide care with true precision.

  Source
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  Evan J. Lipson, M.D.

  Medical oncology (melanoma)

  •

  Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center

  For some patients in our study, ctDNA (circulating tumor DNA) levels measured in a relatively simple blood test revealed tumor mutations that could be potentially targeted with current or new drugs that inhibit tumor growth mutations that are not revealed by genetic profiling of the tumor itself.

  Source
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  Andrew Terentis, Ph.D.

  Analytical chemistry; Raman spectroscopy for cancer detection

  •

  Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

  By combining the molecular information provided by Raman spectroscopy with machine learning, we are beginning to see how subtle differences in tissue chemistry can be used to distinguish cancer from normal skin.

  Source
• 

  Sir Mike Stratton, Ph.D.

  Cancer genomics; mutational signatures

  •

  Wellcome Sanger Institute

  Using our detailed catalogue of the range of mutational signatures in cancer DNA, researchers worldwide will now be able to investigate which chemicals or processes are linked to these signatures.

  Source