Myeloma UK funded research from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, has identified the main biological processes which cause the genetic mutations associated with the development of myeloma.
The research, published in Blood Cancer Journal, increases our knowledge of how myeloma develops and evolves and also suggests that analysis of mutational signatures could play a role in helping identify high risk myeloma patients and predicting patient outcomes. This will aid the development of more personalized treatments for myeloma patients and help to drive improved diagnosis and assessment of prognosis.
The team at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) analyzed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and whole-exome sequencing (WES) data from more than 800 myeloma patients, collected as part of the CoMMpass trial, to identify and map out which mutational signatures, involved in the development of cancer, were also found in myeloma cells.