Abstract

Genome Sequencing for Molecular Stratification of Cancers

Holger Sultmann, Head, German Cancer Research Center

In recent years, national and international genome projects, in particular the ICGC and TCGA, have led to a substantial catalogue of genomic and epigenomic alterations in cancer. With this knowledge accumulating, it has become clear that the molecular diversity of tumors is much higher than previously anticipated. However, molecular cancer diagnosis can only be improved if the underlying principles of the contributions of individual genetic variants to cancer formation are understood. While it is likely that most recurrent mutations associated with tumor development and progression are already known, the current challenge is to identify causal mutations (“drivers”) and to map these onto the cellular pathways promoting tumor progression in patient subgroups or individuals. Furthermore, it is crucial to understand tumor heterogeneity in space and time and to identify smarter treatment protocols. The presentation will focus on recent strategies to integrate genomic and epigenomic data in order to understand development and progression of prostate cancer. The concepts emerging from these efforts are likely to lead to an improved molecular subclassification and diagnosis of this most frequent cancer in males.