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Clinical Ophthalmic Oncology pp 63–68Cite as

Cancer Genetics

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Abstract

A fundamental characteristic of cancer cells is their ability to proliferate and survive outside of their normal physiologic context. This ability is acquired through genetic and epigenetic alterations that modify the cell’s interaction with its environment. As such, some of the most common cancer-related genes are involved in cell cycle, differentiation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. These genes are often referred to as oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, depending on whether cancer-causing mutations result in gain or loss of function, respectively. Here we will review some of the genes and pathways that commonly are deregulated in cancer.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ocular Oncology Service, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 900 N.W. 17th Street, Miami, FL, 33136, USA

    J. William Harbour MD & Daniel L. Chao MD, PhD

  2. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 900 N.W. 17th Street, Miami, FL, 33136, USA

    J. William Harbour MD

Authors
  1. J. William Harbour MD
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  2. Daniel L. Chao MD, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. William Harbour MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Ophthalmic Oncology, Cole Eye Institute Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Arun D. Singh

  2. Ocular Oncology Service, Dept. of Ophthalmol., University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA

    Bertil Damato

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Harbour, J.W., Chao, D.L. (2014). Cancer Genetics. In: Singh, A., Damato, B. (eds) Clinical Ophthalmic Oncology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40489-4_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40489-4_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-40488-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-40489-4

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