Oncologists for the first time managed to track the growth of a cancerous tumor in the patient's body, starting from several cells and ending with metastases. The results of their research they published in the journal Annals of Oncology. It is noted that the observation of scientists began in 2008, and the subject of the study was a man who was diagnosed with intestinal cancer. After the swelling was removed, the doctors found a nodule in the lung of the male and decided not to remove it yet, but to observe the changes. Later, in 2011, a biopsy was performed, which confirmed that a secondary tumor was formed in the lung, which was also removed. But with a biopsy, the needle left behind a trail of cancer cells that developed into another tumor in the chest. She was discovered only two years later, when she grew to the place where the needle entered the body. Later, the patient found tumors of the thyroid and kidneys. He died in 2015. This combination of circumstances allowed oncologists, taking a biopsy day as a starting point, to recreate the chronology of the two-year development of the tumor. In addition, they used data from the genetic analysis of all tumors that developed in men. As a result of the research, oncologists tracked all the mutations that the cells underwent in two years. Drawing up a "growth map" of cancer cells made it possible to find out why the cancer first spread quickly, and then lurked for several years before becoming aggressive again.

Although at an early stage of tumor development mutated gene, accelerating cell division, this did not affect the rate of development of metastases. In addition, these tumors did not develop genetic changes that make cancer cells more aggressive. Scientists believe that the work done can form the basis for further diagnosis and prediction of tumor development and their response to treatment.

Original article: Oncologists first tracked the growth of a cancerous tumor since its formation.