ArticleMolecular cancer research : MCR2023
Updating the Definition of Cancer.
Article in Molecular cancer research : MCR, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 257 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
257 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The correlation between social support and hopelessness among cancer survivors: a meta-analysis.Cancer causes & control : CCC · 2026Pooled it
- The Association of Dietary Diabetes Risk Reduction Score and the Risk of Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.Nutrients · 2025Pooled it
- Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of BRCA1 and BRCA2 as Targets in Canine Oncology: A Comprehensive Review of Their Role in Cancer Development and Treatment.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Pooled it
- Effect of a Novel Food Rich in Miraculin on the Intestinal Microbiome of Malnourished Patients with Cancer and Dysgeusia.Nutrients · 2025Trial
- Advanced gene editing technologies for oncology mechanisms, applications, and clinical implementation.Cancer gene therapy · 2026Review
- Recent advances in Xanthone-based molecular hybrids: emerging therapeutic strategies for multifactorial diseases.Molecular diversity · 2026Review
- Synthesis, anti-proliferative evaluation, DFT,RSC advances · 2026Article
- Opportunities in cancer gene therapy: inhibiting MDM2 and restoring p14ARF as a means to activate p53.Molecular and cellular biochemistry · 2026Review
- NF-κB-driven immune checkpoint knockdown and cytokine expression in cancer cells for tumor immunotherapy.iScience · 2026Article
- Repurposing Antipsychotics in Cancer Therapy: Modulation of Autophagy Mechanisms.Clinical drug investigation · 2026Review
- Molecular pathways and emerging therapeutic strategies in advanced thyroid cancer: from targeted therapy to precision oncology.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2026Review
- Shared Major Metabolic Pathways and Potential Targeted Therapies in Malignancies and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.Biomolecules · 2026Review
- Fisher Information Limits on Genetic Stability, Diversity, and Regulation.Bulletin of mathematical biology · 2026Article
- Cytotoxic Activity and In Silico Study of Secondary Metabolites Derived fromMarine drugs · 2026Article
- Goniothalamin as a Styryl-Lactone Toxicophore in Cancer Models: Electrophile-Driven DNA Damage, Reactive Oxygen Species-Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Signaling and Detoxification-Relevant Safety Considerations.Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology · 2026Review
- GermlineGenes · 2026Article
- Pharmaceutical Compounding as a Pillar of Personalized Oncology: Current Applications, Emerging Technologies, and Future Perspectives.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- A guide to the types, structures, and multifaceted functions of matrix metalloproteinases in cancer.The FEBS journal · 2026Review
- Spectrum, pathobiology, mechanistic insights and diagnostic challenges of post-CAR T cell therapy lymphoproliferative disorders.Nature reviews. Clinical oncology · 2026Review
- A Tale of Two Conditions: 50 Years of Chronic Illness and Cancer From a Nursing Perspective.Journal of advanced nursing · 2026Article
197 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Most definitions of cancer broadly conform to the current NCI definition: "Cancer is a disease in which some of the body's cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body." These definitions tend to describe what cancer "looks like" or "does" but do not describe what cancer "is" or "has become." While reflecting past insights, current definitions have not kept pace with the understanding that the cancer cell is itself transformed and evolving. We propose a revised definition of cancer: Cancer is a disease of uncontrolled proliferation by transformed cells subject to evolution by natural selection. We believe this definition captures the essence of the majority of previous and current definitions. To the simplest definition of cancer as a disease of uncontrolled proliferation of cells, our definition adds in the adjective "transformed" to capture the many tumorigenic processes that cancer cells adopt to metastasize. To the concept of uncontrolled proliferation of transformed cells, our proposed definition then adds "subject to evolution by natural selection." The subject to evolution by natural selection modernizes the definition to include the genetic and epigenetic changes that accumulate within a population of cancer cells that lead to the lethal phenotype. Cancer is a disease of uncontrolled proliferation by transformed cells subject to evolution by natural selection.
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