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Sex differences in oncogenic mutational processes

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Change log

Authors

Prokopec, Stephenie D.  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7936-8577
Sun, Ren X. 
Yousif, Fouad 
Schmitz, Nathaniel 
Al-Shahrour, Fatima 

Abstract

Abstract: Sex differences have been observed in multiple facets of cancer epidemiology, treatment and biology, and in most cancers outside the sex organs. Efforts to link these clinical differences to specific molecular features have focused on somatic mutations within the coding regions of the genome. Here we report a pan-cancer analysis of sex differences in whole genomes of 1983 tumours of 28 subtypes as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium. We both confirm the results of exome studies, and also uncover previously undescribed sex differences. These include sex-biases in coding and non-coding cancer drivers, mutation prevalence and strikingly, in mutational signatures related to underlying mutational processes. These results underline the pervasiveness of molecular sex differences and strengthen the call for increased consideration of sex in molecular cancer research.

Description

Funder: Canadian Network for Research and Innovation in Machining Technology, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC Canadian Network for Research and Innovation in Machining Technology); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100002790


Funder: Genome Canada (Génome Canada); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100008762


Funder: Canada Foundation for Innovation (Fondation canadienne pour l'innovation); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000196


Funder: Terry Fox Research Institute (Institut de Recherche Terry Fox); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100004376

Keywords

Article, /631/67/68, /631/114/2785, /692/4028/67/69, /692/4028/67/395, /38/23, /119, /45, article

Journal Title

Nature Communications

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2041-1723

Volume Title

11

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group UK
Sponsorship
Gouvernement du Canada | Instituts de Recherche en Santé du Canada | CIHR Skin Research Training Centre (Skin Research Training Centre) (SVB-145586)
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Cancer Institute (NCI) (P30CA016042)