University of Chicago researchers demonstrated that cancer samples nearly a century old can still yield meaningful genetic and microbial data. Presenting at AMP 2025, Alexander Guzzetta, MD, PhD, and colleagues adapted archaeologic DNA techniques to extract usable DNA from colorectal tumor specimens dating back to 1932. Using modified workflows designed to preserve ultra-short, damaged fragments, they identified key driver mutations such as TP53 and APC and detected bacteria like Fusobacterium nucleatum. The findings suggest that archival FFPE blocks—long considered unsuitable for sequencing—could help track disease evolution over decades and offer insight into rising early-onset colorectal cancer rates.