Is cancer progression caused by gradual or simultaneous acquisitions of new chromosomes?

Foulds defined, “Tumor progression (as a) permanent, irreversible qualitative change in one or more of its characters” (Cancer Res. 1954). Accordingly progressions, such as metastases and acquired drug-resistance, were since found to be subspecies of cancers with conserved and numerous new chromosomes. Here we ask whether cancers acquire numerous new chromosomes gradually or simultaneously in progressions. The currently prevailing theory of...