Cancer – an overview

Abstract

Cancer is characterized by proliferation of cells that have managed to evade central endogenous control mechanisms. Cancers are grouped according to their organ or tissue of origin, but increasingly also based on molecular characteristics of the respective cancer cells. Due to the rapid technological advances of the last years, it is now possible to analyze the molecular makeup of different cancer types in detail within short time periods. The accumulating knowledge about development and progression of cancer can be used to develop more precise diagnostics and more effective and/or less toxic cancer therapies. In the long run, the goal is to offer to every cancer patient a therapeutic regimen that is tailored to his individual disease and situation in an optimal way.