{
  "id": 14961710,
  "title": "DNA sequencing reveals how rare cancer spread between twins before birth",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/dna-sequencing-reveals-how-rare-cancer-spread-between-twins-before",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-16T13:20:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-dna-sequencing-reveals-rare-cancer.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Two identical sisters were born carrying the same rare cancer, an undifferentiated sarcoma driven by a unique gene fusion (MN1::ZNF341). Researchers sequenced the genetic code of healthy and tumor tissues, along with placental samples, to trace the cancer's journey between the twins. The findings, published in Nature Communications, revealed that the cancer likely began as a facial tumor in Twin A at the end of the first trimester, which then crossed the placenta to reach Twin B late in the second trimester. This study challenges the classical model of identical twin development and highlights the extremely rare occurrence of both twins developing the same cancer, either independently or through placental transmission.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}