Cancer and Signaling Pathway Deregulation

Cancer is a complex disease that is associated with a variety of genetic aberrations. The diagnosis and treatment of cancer have been difficult because of poor understanding of cancer and lack of effective cancer therapies. Many studies have investigated cancer from different perspectives. It remains unclear what molecular mechanisms have triggered and sustained the transition of normal cells to malignant tumor cells in cancer patients. This chapter gives an introduction to the genetic aberrations associated with cancer and a brief view of the topics key to decode cancer, from identifying clinically relevant cancer subtypes to uncovering the pathways deregulated in particular subtypes of cancer.