title: Neuroscience and oncology. A unified view.
abstract: Evidence has been produced that the neoplastic event is the result of a multistep multifactorial process involving virtually every functional system within the organism. Traditional concepts such as cellular autonomy, uncontrolled growth and monoclonality of cancer are revised in the light of current data. Microenvironmental stimuli appear to affect relevant cancer cell functions, including locomotion, differentiation and gene expression. The complex interconnection between biological functions and messages, relevant among which are nervous inputs, requires the identification of new physiological models if the neoplastic process is to be understood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Institute of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marolda
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ruberto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology*; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000502:physiology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents