Curing Cancer Network Newsletter

February 2024

Cancer precursor lesions project

We have compiled a regularly updated spreadsheet of all 1200+ human cancers and their precursor lesions to better understand how cancer arises. We invite you to comment on the current version here or to respond to these questions below via Nat@PathologyOutlines.com:

What malignant diagnoses should be added or removed from this spreadsheet?
What precursor lesions should be added or changed for any of the diagnoses listed?
Are some diagnoses duplicative because they are essentially the same within or at different sites?
Can the definition of malignancy outlined here be improved to make the list more meaningful?
What molecular patterns define known cancer precursors and can we use this knowledge to identify precursor lesions for diagnoses without known precursors, even if they have no distinct histology?
Do malignancies associated with distinct molecular changes, such as oligodendroglioma, IDH mutant and 1p / 19q codeleted or AML with BCR::ABL1 have precursors with similar changes that may appear normal histologically?
Why are known precursors identifiable histologically; i.e. what patterns of molecular expression produce notable cellular changes. This may help us recognize precursors histologically with subtle cellular changes.
Why do the same types of malignancy (e.g. well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma) have different properties at different sites?

More information is at https://natpernick.substack.com/p/cancer-precursor-lesions-project and https://natpernick.substack.com/p/understanding-cancer-precursors

How metastases arise

Dr. Pernick has published 2 essays: Part 3b-1 - What cells normally migrate and Part 3b-2 - How cells normally migrate.

Part 3b-1 discusses normal cell migration. Cell migration is an evolutionarily conserved activity essential for development and function in humans, particularly for embryogenesis, wound healing, immune response and blood vessel formation (Kurosaka 2008). Its major components have been functionally conserved in evolution for over a billion years, from protozoa (single celled organisms) to mammals (Kurosaka 2008). Cells migrate individually or collectively (i.e., as sheets or clusters of cells). Related essays for nonscientists are at

Part 3b-2 discusses normal triggers of migration and the mechanics of cell migration. Migration is initiated by random cell migration, dispersion, hitchhiking of cells and chemotaxis, often working together. Random cell migration (random motility) refers to the intrinsic ability of cells to migrate. This is demonstrated by fibroblasts plated onto media, which migrate on their own, based on adherence to the underlying matrix (Tschumperlin 2013). A related essay for nonscientists is here.

Images and essays for the general public

Part of our Curing Cancer Network (CCN) activities are to post images and short essays about different types of cancer from a pathologist’s perspective for the general public. The regularly updated index to all cancer and medical posts is here.

See here for a list of essays about specific types of cancer.

We recently posted an essay about ovarian cancer which discusses general statistics about ovarian cancer and the anatomy of the ovary and fallopian tubes. The American Cancer Society projects that in 2023, there will be 13,270 deaths from ovarian cancer in the U.S., making it the #5 cause of death for women after lung cancer (59,910), breast cancer (43,170), colorectal cancer (24,080) and pancreatic cancer (23,930). For both men and women, ovarian cancer is #13 in cancer deaths. More here.