Study says genetic fingerprints identify brain tumor origins

Genetic fingerprints that reveal where a brain cell came from remain distinct even after the cell becomes a brain tumor. "Brain tumors arising in different regions may be genetically distinct as a consequence of their unique cellular origins." Researchers use information about tumor origins to develop new treatments for the tumors. Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related death in children, and the most common childhood brain tumor is the pilocytic astrocytoma (PA).