Molecular medicine: a primer for clinicians. Part V: Cancer.

Cancer is among the most common human diseases. However, with few exceptions, the etiology of the human cancers is not apparent. The tools of modern molecular biology have begun to elucidate the steps involved as a normal cell becomes cancerous. The results indicate two families of genes, oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, play key roles in tumor development. The ability to identify and manipulate these genes suggests possible molecular medicine-based diagnostic and prognostic tests as well as potential gene-based treatments or cures. The paper discusses recent advances in cancer molecular biology. The application of this information to patient care is also described. Finally, some of the ethical issues raised by the potential application of molecular medicine to cancer are discussed.