[Molecular basis of oncogenesis]

Abstract

After a quarter century of rapid advances, cancer research has generated a rich and complex body of knowledge, revealing cancer to be a disease involving dynamic changes in the genome. Several lines of evidence indicate that tumorigenesis in humans is a multistep process and that these steps reflect genetic alterations that drive the progressive transformation of normal human cells into highly malignant derivatives. The barriers to development of cancer are embodied in a teleology: cancer cells have defects in regulatory circuits that govern normal cell proliferation and homeostasis. This review concern the description of novel capabilities acquired during tumor development.