Researchers from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network analyzed 178 primary cervical cancers, and found > 70% had genomic alteration in 1 or both of 2 important cell signaling pathways. They also found that a subset of tumors showed no evidence of HPV infection.
“This aspect of the research is one of the most intriguing findings to come out of the TCGA program, which has been looking at more than 30 tumor types over the past decade,” said Jean-Claude Zenklusen, PhD, director of the TCGA program office.
The researchers found several instances of amplification of genes that code for known immune targets, which may predict responsiveness to immunotherapy. They also identified several novel mutated genes. Particularly interesting, the researchers say, was the identification of a unique set of 8 cervical cancers that showed molecular similarities to endometrial cancers; the cancers were mainly HPV negative. That finding “confirms that not all cervical cancers are related to HPV infection and that a small percentage of cervical tumors may be due to strictly genetic or other factors,” said Zenklusen.