# Genome doubling shapes the evolution and prognosis of advanced cancers

Source: https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-bielski-nat-genet/  
OnCo record `paper-bielski-nat-genet` (Key paper). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Paper cited by one term page, indexed on Europe PMC as PubMed record 30013179 and published in Nature Genetics; the citing page links this DOI, which is how the record was matched.

## Summary

Ploidy abnormalities are a hallmark of cancer, but their impact on the evolution and outcomes of cancers is unknown. Here, we identified whole-genome doubling (WGD) in the tumors of nearly 30% of 9,692 prospectively sequenced advanced cancer patients. WGD varied by tumor lineage and molecular subtype, and arose early in carcinogenesis after an antecedent transforming driver mutation. While associated with TP53 mutations, 46% of all WGD arose in TP53-wild-type tumors and in such cases was associated with an E2F-mediated G1 arrest defect, although neither aberration was obligate in WGD tumors. The variability of WGD across cancer types can be explained in part by cancer cell proliferation rates. WGD predicted for increased morbidity across cancer types, including KRAS-mutant colorectal cancers and estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers, independently of established clinical prognostic factors. We conclude that WGD is highly common in cancer and is a macro-evolutionary event associated with poor prognosis across cancer types.

Indexed on Europe PMC as PubMed record 30013179 (DOI 10.1038/s41588-018-0165-1). Matched by DOI alone: one term page cites this DOI among its external links (the pages are listed under Related), and this page was written so that the citation resolves inside OnCo. No figure has been checked by an editor.

## Fields

- Kind: Key paper
- Last checked: 2026-09-22
- Tags: europepmc-ingest
- Journal: Nature Genetics
- Year: 2018
- DOI: 10.1038/s41588-018-0165-1
- Authors: Bielski CM, Zehir A, Penson AV, et al.
- What it means: One term page on OnCo cites this paper by its DOI; this record gives the citation a page of its own so a reader can follow it without leaving OnCo. Read the abstract above alongside the citing page listed under Related; the record was created automatically from the Europe PMC entry and its figures have not been checked by hand.
- Caveats: Matched to the citing OnCo records by DOI alone; the summary reproduces the Europe PMC abstract and no figure has been verified against the full paper.

## Sources

- Nat Genet 2018: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-018-0165-1
- PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30013179/
- Europe PMC: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/30013179

## Connected records

- terms: [Whole-genome doubling (WGD)](https://onco.cc/terms/whole-genome-doubling/)
- journals: [Nature Genetics](https://onco.cc/journals/nature-genetics/)

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