Overview
- The Institute of Cancer Research and St Mark’s Hospital have launched the Boomers Project to compare archived bowel tumors from the 1950s with contemporary cases.
- St Mark’s holds tens of thousands of paraffin-preserved specimens that early tests confirm are suitable for molecular analysis.
- The study will map mutational signatures tied to the exposome, with particular interest in shifts in gut microbes and toxins such as colibactin from certain E. coli strains.
- Diagnoses in younger adults have been rising and are projected to double between 2010 and 2030, with many cases detected later and behaving more aggressively.
- If distinct signatures emerge, the findings could prompt larger studies and inform future strategies for prevention, diagnosis and treatment, researchers said.