ONCOLOGY, NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND TRANSPLANTOLOGY
Review Article
Oct 18, 2025 97 50

Spatial Tumor Heterogeneity: The Next Frontier in Understanding Cancer Resistance

Kwesi Egyin Taylor 1 * ,
Hycent Jacob 2,
Tosin Ayodeji Oladosu 3,
Godwin Kenechukwu Nwajiugo 4,
Motunrayo Victoria Adigun 5,
Markus Saerimam Nzunde 6,
Chinemerem Henry Ugo 7
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS, USA2 Department of Chemical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA3 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN, USA4 Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, National Hospital Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria 5 Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria6 Department of Zoology, University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria7 Department of Nutrition and dietetics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria* Corresponding Author
Oncology, Nuclear Medicine and Transplantology, 1(2), 2025, onmt007, https://doi.org/10.63946/onmt/17300
Publication date: Oct 18, 2025
Full Text (PDF)

ABSTRACT

Spatial tumour heterogeneity, which denotes the changes in cellular and molecular attributes across distinct locations within a tumour, significantly influences cancer diagnosis and treatment resistance. The heterogeneity of tumour cells inside a singular mass facilitates tumour development, metastasis, and the ineffectiveness of standard therapy. Comprehending the geographical distribution of tumour cells is crucial for formulating more efficient treatment regimens. Diverse methodologies are employed to investigate spatial heterogeneity, encompassing modern imaging techniques such as MRI, PET, and multiplexed imaging, alongside omics approaches including genomes, transcriptomics, and proteomics. These instruments offer insights into the tumour microenvironment and facilitate the identification of resistant subpopulations. The amalgamation of imaging and genomic data via radiogenomics has emerged as a viable methodology, providing an extensive perspective on the spatial and molecular intricacies of tumours. Principal findings reveal that spatial heterogeneity fosters medication resistance by establishing microenvironments characterised by varying oxygen levels, immunological infiltration, and genetic alterations, hence complicating the efficacy of monotherapy strategies. Hypoxic environments and immunological evasion significantly contribute to treatment resistance. Addressing geographical heterogeneity has the potential to enhance cancer treatments. By analysing the molecular and geographical characteristics of tumours, physicians can customise therapies more efficiently, minimising resistance and improving therapeutic results. This methodology signifies a vital advancement in precision medicine, providing more individualised and efficacious cancer therapies in the future.

KEYWORDS

Spatial Tumor Heterogeneity Cancer Resistance Imaging Techniques Radiogenomics Drug Resistance Precision Medicine Tumor Microenvironment Hypoxia Immune Evasion Multiplexed Imaging Genomics Proteomics

CITATION (Vancouver)

Taylor KE, Jacob H, Oladosu TA, Nwajiugo GK, Adigun MV, Nzunde MS, et al. Spatial Tumor Heterogeneity: The Next Frontier in Understanding Cancer Resistance. Oncology, Nuclear Medicine and Transplantology. 2025;1(2):onmt007. https://doi.org/10.63946/onmt/17300
APA
Taylor, K. E., Jacob, H., Oladosu, T. A., Nwajiugo, G. K., Adigun, M. V., Nzunde, M. S., & Ugo, C. H. (2025). Spatial Tumor Heterogeneity: The Next Frontier in Understanding Cancer Resistance. Oncology, Nuclear Medicine and Transplantology, 1(2), onmt007. https://doi.org/10.63946/onmt/17300
Harvard
Taylor, K. E., Jacob, H., Oladosu, T. A., Nwajiugo, G. K., Adigun, M. V., Nzunde, M. S., and Ugo, C. H. (2025). Spatial Tumor Heterogeneity: The Next Frontier in Understanding Cancer Resistance. Oncology, Nuclear Medicine and Transplantology, 1(2), onmt007. https://doi.org/10.63946/onmt/17300
AMA
Taylor KE, Jacob H, Oladosu TA, et al. Spatial Tumor Heterogeneity: The Next Frontier in Understanding Cancer Resistance. Oncology, Nuclear Medicine and Transplantology. 2025;1(2), onmt007. https://doi.org/10.63946/onmt/17300
Chicago
Taylor, Kwesi Egyin, Hycent Jacob, Tosin Ayodeji Oladosu, Godwin Kenechukwu Nwajiugo, Motunrayo Victoria Adigun, Markus Saerimam Nzunde, and Chinemerem Henry Ugo. "Spatial Tumor Heterogeneity: The Next Frontier in Understanding Cancer Resistance". Oncology, Nuclear Medicine and Transplantology 2025 1 no. 2 (2025): onmt007. https://doi.org/10.63946/onmt/17300
MLA
Taylor, Kwesi Egyin et al. "Spatial Tumor Heterogeneity: The Next Frontier in Understanding Cancer Resistance". Oncology, Nuclear Medicine and Transplantology, vol. 1, no. 2, 2025, onmt007. https://doi.org/10.63946/onmt/17300

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