title: Cancer susceptibility genes and molecular carcinogenesis. American Association for Cancer Research Special Conference: Cancer Susceptibility Genes and Molecular Carcinogenesis.
abstract: As elaborated by Nobel Laureate Harold Varmus (Director of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA) in his Keynote address, future studies must not only continue to expand our repertoire of genetic determinants of cancer susceptibility by identifying new cancer susceptibility genes, but most also now begin to address the function of these genes and their roles in the process of tumor development. Key areas for future investigation in this field, identified at the meeting, were: (1) understanding how susceptibility genes are altered in cancer cell physiology, (2) elucidating the function of these genes in the biochemistry of cellular signaling pathways; and (3) improving our ability to use this information to extrapolate basic oncology research to the clinic. At this meeting, the fields of molecular carcinogenesis, DNA repair and human genetics were very successfully integrated. These fields have converged in the areas of cell cycle control and genetic susceptibility, and this meeting capitalized on this convergence to highlight recent progress in these areas. Key areas for future research were also emphasized, including the need to apply the rapidly emerging information from these fields towards developing novel therapeutic modalities to treat and prevent cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Carcinogenesis, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville 78957, USA. cwalker@odin.mdacc.tmc.edu
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D017209:Apoptosis; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor / Q000235:genetics; D016158:Genes, p53 / Q000235:genetics; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens