We have mutated cells throughout our bodies. But whether one of those mutated cells grows into a tumor has a lot to do with where it’s located. A mutated skin cell has a different chance of turning cancerous if it’s on, say, the forehead rather than the lip. But the factors that influence these location-driven probabilities have yet to be discovered.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Beronja Lab postdoctoral fellow Rachel Lex, PhD, recently received a fellowship from the American Cancer Society to better understand how body location influences cancer. A better understanding of the factors that contribute to regional differences in tumor formation could point the way toward new treatments and improved prevention strategies.
