Genomics
Advances in the technology to read people’s DNA have made it so much faster and cheaper that we can now read the genetic code of many different genes at once, increasingly by sequencing the entire genome of a patient or their cancer.
Comparing a genome sequence from a tumour cell with one from a healthy cell allows our researchers to pinpoint the genetic changes that are involved in causing cancer, helping us to create new and improved treatments. We can also learn about genetic changes people inherit which may increase their risk of cancer, and this can lead to new ways of preventing the disease.
This page highlights recent news stories, blog posts and videos that concern the use of genomics technologies in cancer research.
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Recent stories on genomics technologies in cancer research
Hereditary breast cancer: genetic code unravelled
Scientists from the ICR's Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre have become the first to fully sequence the DNA of two breast cancers caused by a faulty BRCA1 gene. Surprisingly, changes in the genetic code of the two tumours looked almost entirely different from one another.
Three New Testicular Cancer Risk Variants
A study led by The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) has identified three new genetic risk factors for testicular cancer.