Nature 289, 353 - 357 (29 January 1981); doi:10.1038/289353a0

The origin of human cancers

John Cairns^*

Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Burtonhole Lane, London NW7 1AD, UK
^*Present address: Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.

The limited evidence available suggests that most human cancers are not caused by conventional mutagens but are more likely to be the result of genetic transpositions. Although the molecular biology of transposition is starting to be understood, the external factors that influence its frequency have not yet been studied in any detail.

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