The source of the tumor tissue should be taken into consideration when distinguishing tumor mutational burden scores

Tumors are genetic diseases that involve the accumulation of somatic mutations [1 –2]. The tumor mutational burden (TMB), defined as the total number of somatic mutations in the coding regions of tumor cell genes, is a potential biomarker of the response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. That is, higher TMBs are associated with improved responses and prolonged sur vival in patients undergoing ICI treatment [3]. Accordingly, the establishment of a TMB threshold to classify tumors as high TMB versus low TMB is vital in the era of precision medicine.

Source: Lung Cancer - February 17, 2021 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Chenyue Zhang, Haiyong Wang Source Type: research