Nature Genetics · 11 September 2026 · From issue 35
Cancer treatment alters mutant selection in normal esophagus
Different cancer treatments favored different gene changes in healthy tissue near the tumor.
Joanna C. Fowler, Giuseppina Arbore et al.
Normal tissue lining the food pipe is full of tiny patches of cells carrying small genetic changes. Some patches grow faster than others depending on what pushes them to grow. Different cancer treatments favored different genetic changes in these normal patches. This suggests treatments can shape which mutant cells survive and multiply, even in healthy tissue.
the number of patients whose normal esophagus tissue was sequenced after cancer treatment
Only 70 patients, leftover tissue, no long-term follow-up shown.
Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 6 October 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (Nature Genetics). Read the source
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