The molecular characteristics of gastric cancer patients living in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

Gastric cancer, or stomach cancer, that originates in the inner lining of the stomach, was the fifth most common cancer and the fourth mortality globally, with over one million new cases in 2020 and an estimated 769,000 deaths. The molecular characteristics of gastric cancer has been complicated by histological and intratumor heterogeneity. The incidence of gastric cancer shows wide geographical variation. As the largest and highest region in China, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is one of the important global biodiversity hotspots. Here, we collect tumour and paired normal bio-samples from 31 primary gastric cancer patients from Qinghai Provincial People’s Hospital, and discuss the molecular characteristics for gastric cancer patients living in plateau. They have more single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) located in chromosome 7 with C → T and G → A as the most common alteration types, barely share the cancer driver genes with western patients, and have no significant differences in various Chinese nation. These characteristics offers a great opportunity to further understanding the divergent mechanism of gastric cancer, increase the efficacy for diagnosis and prognosis, finally lead the optimal targeted therapeutics.