Abstract

Background:
Advancements in cancer genomics have revealed that cancers developing from various organs typically share common genetic changes while also having distinctive mutational fingerprints.

Aim:
This study conducted a comparative examination of cancer-associated mutations across four main tumour types: breast, lung, colorectal, and melanoma, using integrated data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer.

Methods:
Through bioinformatics-driven mutation profiling, pathway enrichment, and immunogenomic characterization, we discovered both pan-cancer driver mutations (e.g., TP53, KRAS, PIK3CA) and tumour-specific alterations with therapeutic significance.

Results:
Shared carcinogenic pathways such as PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK were implicated across cancers, whereas unique pathways such as Deoxyribonucleic Acid mismatch repair in colorectal cancer and immune evasion in melanoma highlighted tissue-specific vulnerabilities. Additionally, the study of tumour mutational burden and microsatellite instability informed immunotherapy categorisation.

Conclusion:
These findings underline the potential for both tumour-agnostic and personalised therapy methods, advancing the goals of precision oncology.

Key words: Cancer genomes; Driver mutations; Tumor heterogeneity; Therapeutic targets; Precision oncology; Immunogenomics.