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An entertaining debate in cancer genetics concerns the relative importance of selection for a growth advantage and genomic instability in tumorigenesis. Below, I present evidence that shows that selection is more important, particularly in the early stages of tumorigenesis, but that genomic instability is also an indisputable feature of many cancers. One attractive possibility is that some mutations may have pleiotropic effects both on cell replication or apoptosis and on genomic instability.

Original publication

DOI

10.1111/j.1749-6632.2000.tb06697.x

Type

Journal article

Journal

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

Publication Date

06/2000

Volume

910

Pages

10 - 18

Addresses

Molecular and Population Genetics Laboratory, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, London, United Kingdom. I.tomlinson@icrf.icnet.uk

Keywords

Humans, Colorectal Neoplasms, Neoplasm Proteins, DNA, Neoplasm, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Mutation