How will the characterization of the human cancer genome advance and accelerate cancer research?
Fundamentally a genetic disease, cancer begins with one or more genetic alterations within a single cell. As these alterations accumulate, the cell begins to grow abnormally and can become malignant. Escaping the normal signals that control cell growth, the mutated cells proliferate and can spread to other parts of the body Scientists have identified many genes that are involved in human cancer. The malfunctions of these genes occur by distinct mechanisms, and a systematic characterization of these changes and their role in causing cancer could lead to an increased understanding of the disease. A comprehensive effort to examine changes in the cancer genome may offer an effective way to identify all of the relevant genetic changes and malfunctions that can contribute to cancer. The detailed analysis of the genomes in cancer cells holds the promise to provide key information about many cellular pathways involved in cancer. This new effort could provide researchers with specific molecular
