Researchers have uncovered new details about the complex relationship between the immune system and cancer. They have shown that this relationship can influence the distribution and frequency of genetic mutations that promote the growth and spread of cancer. Tumours that can withstand the body’s attempt to destroy them – described as ‘escaping the immune system’ – have a higher number and broader range of mutated sites.
The study also revealed that people with these tumours had lower rates of survival than those whose tumours were subject to attack from the immune system. On this basis, the researchers suggest that the ‘escape status’ of a person’s tumour could be used in a clinical setting to help determine their likely outcome and, in turn, optimise their treatment.
Finally, the team identified associations between escaped tumours and mutational patterns known to develop through exposure to smoking and UV light. It is therefore possible that these exposures increase the cancer’s ability to evade the immune system.
The study was carried out by researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and University College London, with funding coming from Cancer Research UK, the Wellcome Trust and the National Institute of Health. The findings were published in the journal Genome Biology.
Credit: The Institute of Cancer Research