Cancer gene identification from RNA variant allelic frequencies using RVdriver

Abstract

Existing approaches to identifying cancer genes rely overwhelmingly on DNA sequencing data. Here, we introduce RVdriver, a computational tool that leverages paired bulk genomic and transcriptomic data to classify RNA variant allele frequencies (VAFs) of non-synonymous mutations relative to a synonymous mutation background. We analyze 7882 paired exomes and transcriptomes from 31 cancer types and identify novel, as well as known, cancer genes, complementing other DNA-based approaches. Furthermore, RNA VAFs of individual mutations are able to distinguish “driver” from “passenger” mutations within established cancer genes. This approach highlights the value of multi-omic approaches for cancer gene discovery.