PRINCETON, N.J., Aug. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have determined every type of cancer contains unique gene mutations that give it Darwin's "survival of the fittest" advantage.
The researchers from Princeton University and the University of California-San Francisco said they discovered the underlying process in tumor formation is the same as for life itself: evolution.
After analyzing 500,000 gene mutations, the researchers determined that although different gene mutations control different cancer pathways, each pathway was controlled by one set of gene mutations. That, they said, suggests a molecular "survival of the fittest" scenario plays out in every living creature as gene mutations strive for ultimate survival through cancerous tumors.
"This study lays the groundwork for understanding the nature of different mutations in cancers," said Chen-Hsiang Yeung, first author of the study, "and helps with understanding the mechanisms of cancers and their responses to drug treatments."
The research appears in the August issue of The FASEB Journal.
