General Considerations on the Genetic Study of Cancer
It is pointed out in this paper that the science of genetics is capable of furnishing further contributions to the cancer problem, and that the study of the occurrence of spontaneous tumors in diverse stocks of pedigreed and unpedigreed animals, especially mice, is made possible.
Abstract
The science of genetics has given at least one contribution of enduring value to cancer research. This contribution has been made possible by the study of the occurrence of spontaneous tumors in diverse stocks of pedigreed and unpedigreed animals, especially mice. That there is a predisposition to cancer, which may also be called a sensitivity of tissue to become cancerous, can no longer be disputed. This predisposition factor is definite in its occurrence and definite in its mode of origin. It is inherited, and although the mechanism of inheritance has not been demonstrated with any degree of exactness or finality, yet we cannot overrule or overthrow the mass of data that have accumulated within the past fifteen years. As a geneticist, I desire to point out, however, that this method of attack has one serious drawback. The idea of the inheritance of susceptibility to spontaneous cancerous tissue does not give an explanation, nor is there any just grounds for developing any legitimate theory from these premises that actually visualizes the incidence of cancer. How do normal tissue cells change over into cancerous cells? This work does not give us the answer nor is it probable that such research alone will ever provide the answer. This problem—that of the actual neoplastic change —is the essence of the cancer problem before us. It is my purpose to point out in this paper that the science of genetics is capable of furnishing further contributions to the cancer problem.