Inherited genetics may help identify patients at higher risk of developing aggressive blood cancers

A study led by researchers at the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute has shown that certain inherited genetic variants may help identify patients at higher risk of developing aggressive forms of therapy-related myeloid neoplasms, blood cancers that can arise years after receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy to treat a previous cancer.

The research, published in the scientific journal Blood Advances, was led by Dr Francesc Solé, with Dr Oriol Calvete and Júlia Mestre as first authors, and involved professionals from hospitals and research centres in Spain and the United States.

The team analysed genetic and clinical data from 100 people diagnosed with therapy-related myeloid neoplasms. The results showed that nearly one in three had an inherited genetic variant associated with a predisposition to cancer or haematological diseases.

The researchers also found that patients with certain inherited variants were more likely to present complex chromosomal alterations and alterations in the TP53 gene, characteristics associated with a less favourable disease outcome.

The findings highlight the potential importance of inherited genetics in the development and progression of these blood cancers. In the future, incorporating this information into patient assessment could help to better identify risk, personalise follow-up and move towards increasingly precise care.

Although further studies will be needed before these findings can be incorporated into routine clinical practice, this research opens up new avenues for understanding why some patients develop particularly aggressive forms of these diseases and advancing towards more personalised prevention and follow-up strategies.

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