Next-Generation Sequencing Reveals Divergent Mutations in Subclones of Colon Cancer

摘要

Background: Colon carcinoma can have a variety of histologic appearances ranging from gland-forming adenocarcinoma to small cell or neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), each thought to arise through different molecular pathways. They can rarely occur together as subclones of the same tumor or collision tumors. The treatment for adenocarcinoma and NEC are different and may have different mutations which could serve as therapeutic targets. Here we present a colon carcinoma which has adenocarinoma and high-grade NEC histology; both contain the same driver oncogene mutation but different additional mutations.