Doctors have long struggled to predict which people with chronic blood cancers will remain healthy for many years and which will develop life-threatening complications.
A major study led by the Wellcome Sanger Institute now suggests that the answers may already be written in patients’ DNA.
The research was published in Cancer Discovery and presented at the AACR Conference.
The scientists studied myeloproliferative neoplasms, a group of slow-growing blood cancers that begin in the bone marrow.
These diseases often develop over decades as genetic changes gradually build up inside blood-forming stem cells. Because the process is slow, predicting the future course of the disease has been extremely difficult.
Researchers followed 30 patients over periods of up to 25 years.
By combining genome sequencing with detailed clinical records, treatment histories and thousands of blood test results, they reconstructed family trees showing how different blood cell clones evolved throughout each patient’s illness.
The results revealed two very different patterns. Stable patients had blood cell populations that changed very little over time. In contrast, patients whose disease progressed developed new genetic mutations that appeared years before their condition visibly worsened.
Another important discovery involved patients who lacked the three most common cancer-related mutations. Instead of finding evidence of hidden blood cancer, the researchers often found genetic patterns associated with normal aging. This suggests some patients may have been classified too quickly as having cancer.
These findings could transform patient care. Regular genomic testing may allow doctors to detect dangerous disease earlier, monitor treatment more accurately and avoid unnecessary chemotherapy for people whose blood changes are unlikely to behave like cancer.
The researchers believe future cancer care will increasingly rely on repeated DNA testing rather than depending only on symptoms or routine blood tests. Earlier identification of high-risk patients could allow treatment before irreversible damage occurs.
Review and analysis: This research represents an important step toward precision medicine for blood cancers.
While larger studies are still needed to confirm the findings, the work shows how genome sequencing can improve diagnosis and long-term monitoring while reducing uncertainty for both doctors and patients.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that a low-carb diet could increase overall cancer risk, and vitamin D supplements could strongly reduce cancer death.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how drinking milk affects the risks of heart disease and cancer and results showing higher intake of dairy foods linked to higher prostate cancer risk.
Source: Wellcome Sanger Institute.
