Oncogenes in thyroid cancer

Abstract

At the time of conception, the human organism is a single cell zygote. During the course of development into an adult, this cell expands into a complex mass of approximately 100 trillion cells, with an enormous variety of shapes, sizes, and functions. Normal tissue growth and development require prolific cell division, exquisitely regulated cell differentiation, and appropriately timed cell death or apoptosis. Neoplastic transformation of tissue generally occurs when abnormal regulatory mechanisms promote excessive cell division, impaired cell differentiation, and/or failure of apoptosis. In most tumor types, this aberrant control originates at the genetic level. © 2006 Humana Press Inc.