By Julie Bierach, KWMU
St. Louis – Researchers have completed a map of the genetic changes underlying a common form of lung cancer called adenocarcinoma.
Scientists at Washington University's Genome Sequencing Center participated in international research that uncovered 57 genomic changes that occur frequently in lung cancer patients. Only 15 changes were previously known.
Elaine Mardis is co-director of the Washington University Genome Sequencing Center. She said adenocarcinoma is the most prevalent form of lung cancer.
"This is one of the most common non-smoking associated forms of cancer," Mardis said. "So several patients that were in our study were non-smokers that were affected by lung cancer."
Mardis says it's the most comprehensive picture of the lung cancer genome ever assembled.