This Publication Is Searchable The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy Section 21. Special Subjects Chapter 286. Inheritance Of Single-Gene Defects Multifactorial Inheritance Nontraditional Inheritance Chromosomal Disorders Mitochondrial DNA Abnormalities Cancer Genetics Immunogenetics Forensic Genetics Genetic Therapy Cancer Genetics Cancer comprises many disorders characterized by uncontrolled cell growth due to changes in genetic information in the malignant tissue.
Oncogenes originate from proto-oncogenes or genes involved in cell growth regulation.
Most cancers involve the loss of multiple control mechanisms, often through chromosome loss or activation of genes that are normally turned off. Certain familial cancers involve inheritance of an already mutated or genetically changed gene and loss of the normal allele in the cancer tissue. Many specific genes play an important role in cancer, including the retinoblastoma gene, several Wilms' tumor genes, and at least two breast cancer genes. In addition, certain disorders, such as neurofibromatosis and von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, predispose to particular cancers. All rights reserved.