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Scientists have identified eight faulty biological processes responsible for DNA damage in 85% of prostate cancers, offering a potential path to better predicting which tumors will turn deadly. The landmark study, published in Nature, analyzed the complete genomes of 959 tumors across seven countries — the largest prostate cancer genome dataset to date. While not yet clinic-ready, the findings could eventually help doctors personalize treatment decisions.
Scientists have long known the genes involved in prostate cancer, but that knowledge hasn't explained why some men live with the disease for decades while others die from it. A major international study, published in Nature and co-led by Spain's National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), may finally offer some answers — by mapping the biological processes that actually cause the DNA damage driving most prostate cancers.
The team analyzed the complete genomes of 959 tumors from men across seven countries, making it the largest prostate cancer genome study ever conducted. By simultaneously examining four types of DNA damage — rather than the usual one at a time — they uncovered eight distinct faulty cellular processes, including errors in DNA copying, repair failures, hormone signaling gone wrong, and aging. Strikingly, environmental culprits like tobacco and sunlight — hallmarks of lung and skin cancer — were virtually absent.
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Why it matters: The findings could one day help clinicians distinguish aggressive cancers from slow-growing ones and tailor treatments accordingly — using DNA sequencing tools already in use in many health systems. But researchers caution that clinical application is still years away, pending validation in broader patient groups and real-world trials.
