BCRB 2018

Conclusions • Cancer is caused by a series (~2-8) changes in the genome – Additional ~10 3 passenger genetic alterations • The changes which occur can be classified, giving rise to 6 essential acquired properties, 2 emerging properties and 2 enabling properties • The hallmarks of cancer can be arrived at by many different genetic routes – As a result tumors are very heterogeneous. For each type of cancer there are several genetic routes • These hallmarks (and accompanying genetic alterations) affect treatment and radiation sensitivity in complex ways. – Understanding the molecular basis of cancer is important to understand radiation responses