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Cancer cells from your body were examined to see whether certain genes showed changes or the control of genetic information had altered.

The tissue in the body is made up of cells. With cancer, the cells multiply uncontrollably, which leads to a malignant neoplasm (abnormal growth of tissue) developing. The cancer cells can destroy the healthy tissue and spread throughout the body.

Somatic cells and therefore also cancer cells usually hold a complete blueprint of your body. This blueprint consists of genetic information.

Certain sections of genetic information are called genes. Genes contain instructions according to which a cell produces certain proteins. These proteins control many processes in the body and in the cell itself. The proteins can, for example, ensure that the cell grows and divides. Cancers can involve genetic changes. This may then cause a different protein to be produced than intended, for example.

A gene can also be active to varying degrees. The activity of a gene determines things like how much of a particular protein the cell produces. There are certain sections of genetic information that do not contain any instructions for the production of proteins. These sections function like switches or controls and control how active a gene is. In cancer cells, these sections of genetic information are also altered. This can cause the cells to multiply uncontrollably. Your investigation involved lots of sections of genetic information being checked for changes at the same time.

This investigation involved taking a tissue sample and then examining the cancer cells in a laboratory using special methods.