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Defining the transition from benign to malignant tissue is fundamental to improving early diagnosis of cancer1. Here we use a systematic approach to study spatial genome integrity in situ and describe previously unidentified clonal relationships. We used spatially resolved transcriptomics2 to infer spatial copy number variations in >120,000 regions across multiple organs, in benign and malignant tissues. We demonstrate that genome-wide copy number variation reveals distinct clonal patterns within tumours and in nearby benign tissue using an organ-wide approach focused on the prostate. Our results suggest a model for how genomic instability arises in histologically benign tissue that may represent early events in cancer evolution. We highlight the power of capturing the molecular and spatial continuums in a tissue context and challenge the rationale for treatment paradigms, including focal therapy.

Original publication

DOI

10.1038/s41586-022-05023-2

Type

Journal article

Journal

Nature

Publication Date

08/2022

Volume

608

Pages

360 - 367

Keywords

Clone Cells, DNA Copy Number Variations, Early Detection of Cancer, Genome, Human, Genomic Instability, Genomics, Humans, Male, Models, Biological, Neoplasms, Prostate, Prostatic Neoplasms, Spatial Analysis, Transcriptome