Cancer Genomics

This chapter discusses cancer genomics, which is one of the fastest-moving areas of medical research and is having a direct impact on people's lives. Cancer is a disease in which cells divide in excess, generating a lump, known as the primary tumour. A key feature of cancer is that the cells in the lump spread, invading the neighbouring normal tissues and blood and lymphatic vessels, allowing them to colonize distant organs, forming distant secondary tumours. Both primary and secondary tumours may cause symptoms as they penetrate and grow into normal tissues. The genome changes in cancers include single nucleotide changes, amplifications or deletions of regions of chromosomes, and chromosome rearrangements that may join genes together. The chapter considers how understanding the genome of cancer cells can help us prevent and treat cancer, and improve the survival and quality of life of patients.