Singularity: The Achilles’ heel of cancer?

Summary It is predicted that the total number of mutations present at the first appearance of a fully malignant clone, including passengers, is so large that every individual patient’s cancer is unique from the outset. The initiating (malignant-clone-defining) mutation set (McDMS) defines the cancer, permits absolute identification of cancer cells including all sub-clones, and thus suggests a mode of attack. Directly or otherwise, a useful proportion of the McDMS will give rise to gene products that can be detected and bound by external physical agents in a specific manner. Using such agents cooperatively, as a team, offers prospects for better diagnosis and treatment, especially if they are harnessed together in one molecule so that they can all bind to their targets at the same time without strain, because that will yield enhanced selectivity and strength of binding.