Chinese scientists advance genetic analysis of thyroid cancer

Scientists is China have successfully depicted the genetic landscape of thyroid cancer in the Chinese population, providing a fundamental insight into the pathogenesis of the disease, according to a media report today.
Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common thyroid cancer.
Scientists conducted genetic analysis of 355 samples of cancerous tissues and its adjacent tissues from the patients suffering from PTC to determine the mutational landscape of the cancer.
Genetic mutation of cancer varies by the factors, including geography and living habits, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Previous researches focused on the genetic mutation of PTCs in western populations, but this research characterises the genetic landscape in Chinese patients with PTC for the first time.

The research was jointly conducted by the Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Beijing Cancer Hospital, the Xinhua reported.

It reveals the differences in the genetic map of PTC patients in China and America. The research was published in the The Journal of Pathology in December.
It provides a theoretical basis for the molecular diagnosis of PCT in China. It also brings a new target point for developing drug therapy, the report said.
China has witnessed an increasing cases of thyroid cancer in recent years, especially among young and middle-aged women.