Genetics, Autoimmunity, and Cancer

Abstract

The majority of people consider cancer to be a single disease, but it is actually a collection of more than 1000 distinct abnormalities in cell and tissue function. However, all cancers have one trait in common: they are all diseases characterized by unregulated cell division. Under normal circumstances, the body regulates the generation of new cells quite precisely. Specific DNA abnormalities in cancer cells cause disruptions in cell communication and growth regulation that are typical in healthy cells. Cancer cells that have evaded these restrictions can become invasive and move to other regions of the body. At the molecular level, cancer is primarily a hereditary disease. It is crucial to understand the fundamental genetic alterations that occur at the somatic level when cancer progresses. The genetics of cancer at the germline layer is still one of the most intriguing and fascinating areas of cancer research, and it is becoming even more so as DNA sequencing technology improves. This has allowed researchers to identify the genetic underpinnings of previously unknown inherited diseases. Newer technologies have also made it economically feasible to test patients for the presence of common and hereditary cancer susceptibilities. As a result, cancer genetics has become a significant part of the volume of work in clinical genetics programs. This chapter focuses on cancer and autoimmune-related genetic and genomic components.