Missing Y chromosome may be an early clue to cancer

A study led by Dr. Dan Theodorescu at the University of Arizona Cancer Center found that loss of the Y chromosome in normal tissue adjacent to tumors may signal early cancer formation. Analyzing 1,000 tissue samples and over 4.3 million cell nuclei, researchers discovered a gradient of Y chromosome loss correlating with cancer development across bladder, colon, rectum, esophagus, pancreas, and lung tissues.

The closer the tissue is to a cancer, the more Y chromosome loss we see. That gradient could one day help doctors suspect trouble in biopsies that miss a smaller cancer.