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Carcinogenesis

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Cancer

  • 76 Accesses

Definition

Carcinogenesis is the process by which cancer develops in various tissues in the body.

Characteristics

In most cases, carcinogenesis occurs via a stepwise process that can encompass a major fraction of the lifespan (multistep development). These progressive stages often include hyperplasia, dysplasia, metaplasia, benign tumors, and then, eventually, malignant tumors. Malignant tumors can also undergo further progression to become more invasive and metastatic, autonomous of hormones and growth factors, and resistant to chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Causes

Known causes of carcinogenesis include various chemicals or mixture of chemicals present in several sources. This includes cigarette smoke; diet; workplace or general environment; ultraviolet and ionizing radiation; specific viruses, bacteria, and parasites; and endogenous factors (oxidative DNA damage, DNA depurination, deamination). According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69 agents, mixtures,...

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References

  • Kitchin KT (ed) (1999) Carcinogenicity, testing predicting and interpreting chemical effects. Marcel Dekker, New York/Basel

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  • Weinstein IB (2000) Disorders in cell circuitry during multistage carcinogenesis: the role of homeostasis. Carcinogenesis 22:857–864

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  • Weinstein IB, Santella RM, Perera FP (1995a) Molecular biology and molecular epidemiology of cancer. In: Greenwald P, Kramer BS, Weed DL (eds) Cancer prevention and control. Marcell Dekker, New York, pp 83–110

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  • Weinstein IB, Carothers AM, Santella RM et al (1995b) Molecular mechanisms of mutagenesis and multistage carcinogenesis. In: Mendelsohn J, Howley PM, Israel MA, Liotta LA (eds) The molecular basis of cancer. Saunders, WB, Philadelphia, pp 59–85

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See Also

  • (2012) Mutagenic. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of cancer, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, p 2412. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_3909

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    I. Bernard Weinstein

Authors
  1. I. Bernard Weinstein
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. Tumorgenetik, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab

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Weinstein, I.B. (2015). Carcinogenesis. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_843-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_843-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27841-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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