Overview of Cancer Biology

Cancer is considered a genetic disease in that mutations of various genes cause disease by dysregulation of cellular mechanisms that control proliferation, survival, and death. 

Once a cell has become transformed, ie, capable of autonomous proliferation through mutation of some of its genes, these characteristics are heritable from cell to cell. 

Dominant, gain-of-function mutations that activate oncogenes confer a rapid-growth phenotype on cells. 

Recessive, loss-of-fimction mutations that delete or inactivate tumor suppressor genes alleviate controls on cell proliferation and survival. 

Activated oncogenes are rarely passed through the germline. 

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