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🧬 The “Cancer Gene Universe” in Numbers, if we chart all known cancer drivers:

1. 300 genes are implicated in cancer
2. 60 genes are major recurrent drivers
3. 15 genes cause the majority of cancers
4. TP53, KRAS, PIK3CA, APC, PTEN, BRAF are the global heavy hitters

Legend: TSG = Tumor suppressor gene, OG = Oncogene, DR = DNA repair

Gene             
% of Cancers 
Category 
Notes                                      
 
 
 
 
**TP53**         
**~50%**     
TSG      
Most common driver mutation in all cancers 
**KRAS**         
**25%**      
OG       
Dominant in pancreatic, lung, colon        
**PIK3CA**       
**14%**      
OG       
Breast, gynecologic, colon                 
**APC**          
**10%**      
TSG      
Initiator of colorectal cancer             
**PTEN**         
**9%**       
TSG      
Many solid tumors                          
**BRAF**         
**7%**       
OG       
Melanoma, thyroid                          
**RB1**          
**7%**       
TSG      
Retinoblastoma, lung                       
**NF1**          
**5%**       
TSG      
Nervous system tumors, others              
**ATM**          
**5%**       
DR       
DNA damage response                        
**IDH1/2**       
**4%**       
OG       
Glioma, leukemia                           
**CDKN2A**       
**4%**       
TSG      
Melanoma, pancreatic                       
**EGFR**         
**4%**       
OG       
Lung cancer                                
**SMAD4**        
**4%**       
TSG      
Pancreatic, colon                          
**ERBB2 (HER2)** 
**3%**       
OG       
Breast, gastric                            
**NOTCH1**       
**3%**       
OG/TSG   
Common in leukemias                        
**NFE2L2**       
**3%**       
OG       
Esophageal, lung                           
**CTNNB1**       
**3%**       
OG       
Liver, colon, endometrial                  
**ALK**              
~2%      
OG         
Lung, lymphoma                             
**ROS1**             
~1%      
OG         
Lung                                       
**MET**              
~1–2%    
OG         
Lung, kidney                               
**RET**              
~1–2%    
OG         
Thyroid, lung                              
**MYC**              
~1–2%    
OG         
Many aggressive cancers                    
**TERT promoter**    
~2–3%    
Regulation 
Important in brain, bladder, liver cancers 
**FAT1**             
~2%      
TSG        
Squamous cancers                           
**ARID1A**           
~2–3%    
TSG        
Ovarian, gastric                           
**BRCA1**            
~1%      
DR         
Breast, ovarian, prostate                  
**BRCA2**            
~2%      
DR         
Breast, prostate, pancreatic               
**MLH1**             
~1%      
DR         
Colon & endometrial                        
**PMS2, MSH2, MSH6** 
each ~1% 
DR         
MSI-high cancers                           
**FOXL2**         
<1%                        
Ovarian granulosa tumors        
**KIT**           
<1–2%                      
Melanoma & GIST                 
**GNAQ/GNA11**    
<1%                        
Uveal melanoma                  
**EWSR1 fusions** 
rare                       
Ewing sarcoma                   
**SS18 fusions**  
rare                       
Synovial sarcoma                
**NPM1**          
<1% overall (but ~30% AML) 
Leukemia                        
**FLT3**          
<1% overall (but 25% AML)  
Leukemia                        
**RUNX1**         
<1% overall                
Leukemia                        
**HOXB13**        
<1%                        
Prostate                        
**VHL**           
<1% overall                
Kidney cancer                   
**TERT promoter** 
varies                     
Brain, liver, thyroid, melanoma 

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