Mosaicism, aging and cancer

Purpose of review Genetic mosaicism is the presence of a somatic mutation in a subset of cells that differs from the inherited germline genome. Detectable genetic mosaicism is attractive as a potential early biomarker for cancer risk due to its established relationship with aging, introduction of potentially deleterious mutations, and clonal selection and expansion of mutated cells. The aim of this review is to survey shared risk factors associated with genetic mosaicism, aging and cancer risk.