Laws of nature predict cancer evolution

Cancers evolve over time in patterns governed by the same mathematical laws that drive natural processes such as the flow of rivers or the brightness of stars, reports a study led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and The Institute of Cancer Research. The research raises the possibility that doctors could take clinical decisions on how an individual patient's cancer will change, and what treatments should be used, by applying mathematical formulas to tumour biopsies. The study, published , used a wealth of data - generated from more than 900 tumours of 14 different types - to show that many cancers, such as bowel, stomach and some lung cancers, evolve in particular patterns that can be predicted. The theoretical model, created by the research team, predicted that in many tumours, all of the important cancer genes are already present at the beginning of tumour growth, and new mutations inside the tumour are essentially 'passengers', with no additional effect. The team showed that these passenger mutations would accumulate following a mathematical pattern that is found through nature in a variety of physical, chemical and biological systems including the flow of the River Nile and the luminosity of stars - and even helps to govern the financial market. The model was not as good at predicting the path of some other cancers, such as brain and pancreatic tumours, suggesting that in these cases natural selection - driven by pressures on resources and space - might play a greater role in the spread of mutations.