Biomedical and Clinical Research

Cancer and Oncology Research

Cancer is a class of disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these cells to invade other tissues, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through intrusion or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis. Some cancers develop from spontaneous mutations in a cell’s genetic material, while other cancers can be passed from one generation to the next. Mutations can be developed by exposure to radiation, such as UV rays from sunlight, or chemicals or physical agents called carcinogens. The transformation of a normal cell into a cancerous cell often requires several mutations. Normally, cells contain specific enzymes that are quite efficient at finding and correcting mutations. However, some mutations do escape detection.