Younger adults may need different cancer immunotherapies

In 10 seconds? Age is one of the many factors that affect an individual’s genetic response to cancer, and its treatment thereafter. There is a higher incidence of cancers in the younger, under 50 population than before but most research is being done among the older age groups. So, researchers have set out to correct this imbalance.

What did they do?  They have looked to factors that are more relevant to younger (meaning people who are under 50)  patients. Using data from over 1700 younger patients and over 3600 older patients (logged in The Cancer Genome Atlas, TCGA), the authors have identified a complete list of clinically actionable genetic events that disproportionately affect younger adults. This resulting catalog can pave the way for designing better precision diagnostics and therapies for them.