Clues to Treat Brain Cancer Discovered

U.S. researchers said they’ve discovered new genetic mutations involved in glioblastoma, the most common form of brain cancer.

The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network said the findings of its large-scale study of glioblastoma, published in the online edition of the journal Nature, hold potential implications for the diagnosis and treatment of the deadly disease that afflicts about 21,000 people each year in the United States — including U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

The research team said it has identified many gene mutations involved in glioblastoma, including three that occur with significant frequency, as well as the delineation of core pathways disrupted in this type of brain cancer. They also made an unexpected observation that points to a potential mechanism of resistance to a common chemotherapy drug used for brain cancer, the group said Friday in a release.

“These impressive results from TCGA provide the most comprehensive view to date of the complicated genomic landscape of this deadly cancer,” Dr. Elias A. Zerhoui, director of the National Institutes of Health, said in a statement.