Mice are excellent models for cancer research.
They are mammals and thus genetically similar to humans. They develop many of the same cancers that we do, and they can be induced to develop others by exposures to cancer-causing substances. Researchers have bred various strains of mice with particular characteristics that make them especially good models for human disease. In recent years, our understanding of the genetic basis of many cancers has been refined. A number of mouse strains have been bred that carry either human oncogenes or suppressor genes.