Molecular biology of head and neck cancer: risks and pathways.
Patients present with a differential baseline risk of cancer based on normal and expected variations in genes associated with cancer. The baseline risk of developing cancer is acted on throughout life as the genome of different cells interacts with the environment in the form of exposures (eg, toxins, infections). As genetic damage is incurred throughout a lifetime (directly to DNA sequences or to the epigenome), events are set in motion to progressively disrupt normal cellular pathways toward tumorigenesis. This article attempts to characterize broad categories of genetic aberrations and pathways in a manner that might be useful for the clinician to understand the risk of developing cancer, the pathways that are disrupted, and the potential for molecular-based diagnostics.
Duke Scholars
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Related Subject Headings
- Risk Factors
- Oncology & Carcinogenesis
- Neoplasms, Squamous Cell
- Humans
- Head and Neck Neoplasms
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- 3201 Cardiovascular medicine and haematology
- 1102 Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology
Citation
Published In
DOI
ISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Risk Factors
- Oncology & Carcinogenesis
- Neoplasms, Squamous Cell
- Humans
- Head and Neck Neoplasms
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- 3201 Cardiovascular medicine and haematology
- 1102 Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology