Abstract
Mutations detected in cancers are often divided into "drivers" and "passengers."We suggest that this classification is potentially misleading for purposes of early detection and prevention. Specifically, some mutations are frequent in tumors and thus appear to be drivers, but are poor predictors of cancer; other mutations are individually rare and thus appear to be passengers, but may collectively explain a large proportion of risk. The assumptions bundled into the terms "driver" and "passenger" can lead to misunderstandings of neoplastic progression, with unintended consequences including overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and failure to identify the true sources of risk. We argue that samples from healthy, benign, or neoplastic tissues are critical for evaluating the risk of future cancer posed bymutations in a given gene. Cancer Prev Res; 9(5); 335-8.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 335-338 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Cancer Prevention Research |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 1 2016 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cancer Research
- Oncology
Cite this
Limitations of the driver/passenger model in cancer prevention. / Kuhner, Mary K.; Kostadinov, Rumen; Reid, Brian J.
In: Cancer Prevention Research, Vol. 9, No. 5, 01.05.2016, p. 335-338.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Limitations of the driver/passenger model in cancer prevention
AU - Kuhner, Mary K.
AU - Kostadinov, Rumen
AU - Reid, Brian J.
PY - 2016/5/1
Y1 - 2016/5/1
N2 - Mutations detected in cancers are often divided into "drivers" and "passengers."We suggest that this classification is potentially misleading for purposes of early detection and prevention. Specifically, some mutations are frequent in tumors and thus appear to be drivers, but are poor predictors of cancer; other mutations are individually rare and thus appear to be passengers, but may collectively explain a large proportion of risk. The assumptions bundled into the terms "driver" and "passenger" can lead to misunderstandings of neoplastic progression, with unintended consequences including overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and failure to identify the true sources of risk. We argue that samples from healthy, benign, or neoplastic tissues are critical for evaluating the risk of future cancer posed bymutations in a given gene. Cancer Prev Res; 9(5); 335-8.
AB - Mutations detected in cancers are often divided into "drivers" and "passengers."We suggest that this classification is potentially misleading for purposes of early detection and prevention. Specifically, some mutations are frequent in tumors and thus appear to be drivers, but are poor predictors of cancer; other mutations are individually rare and thus appear to be passengers, but may collectively explain a large proportion of risk. The assumptions bundled into the terms "driver" and "passenger" can lead to misunderstandings of neoplastic progression, with unintended consequences including overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and failure to identify the true sources of risk. We argue that samples from healthy, benign, or neoplastic tissues are critical for evaluating the risk of future cancer posed bymutations in a given gene. Cancer Prev Res; 9(5); 335-8.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84969972242&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-15-0343
DO - 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-15-0343
M3 - Article
C2 - 26932841
AN - SCOPUS:84969972242
VL - 9
SP - 335
EP - 338
JO - Cancer Prevention Research
JF - Cancer Prevention Research
SN - 1940-6207
IS - 5
ER -