Abstract
Evolutionary biology has proven itself to be a useful tool for medical oncologists and cancer
researchers. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests the emergence of cancer is itself a
Darwinian process, which abides by the rules of natural selection. Non-Darwinian evolutionary
processes such as genetic drift also play an important part. The consequences of these findings are
pivotal to the understanding of the failure that attempts at treatment have encountered thus far, as well
as to the design of future therapeutic approaches.
researchers. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests the emergence of cancer is itself a
Darwinian process, which abides by the rules of natural selection. Non-Darwinian evolutionary
processes such as genetic drift also play an important part. The consequences of these findings are
pivotal to the understanding of the failure that attempts at treatment have encountered thus far, as well
as to the design of future therapeutic approaches.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 183-190 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Proceedings of the Romanian Academy Series B: Chemistry, Life Sciences and Geoscience |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 3 |
Publication status | Published - 12 Jul 2012 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- cancer
- carcinogenesis
- evolutionary theory
- clonal evolution
- acquired drug resistance