Intermediate
Technical
In the Industry Vocabulary Test
clonal evolution
The process by which cancer cells acquire additional mutations over time, leading to tumor progression and treatment resistance.
Full Definition
The dynamic process through which cancer cell populations undergo successive rounds of mutation, selection, and expansion, resulting in increasingly malignant phenotypes. This evolutionary process drives tumor heterogeneity, metastatic potential, and resistance to targeted therapies. Understanding clonal evolution patterns helps clinicians predict treatment responses and design sequential therapy strategies. The concept is fundamental to precision oncology approaches.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from simple tumor progression, which may not involve genomic changes.
In Context
- "Serial biopsies revealed clonal evolution with acquisition of resistance mutations following targeted therapy." — Research publication
- "The clonal evolution analysis demonstrated emergence of PIK3CA mutations after initial response to treatment." — Clinical case report
Also known as
tumor evolution
cancer progression
Contrasted with
clonal stability
Don't confuse with
clonal expansion
tumor progression