Review

Nature Reviews Cancer 4, 177-183 (March 2004) | doi:10.1038/nrc1299

A census of human cancer genes

P. Andrew Futreal1, Lachlan Coin1, Mhairi Marshall1, Thomas Down1, Timothy Hubbard1, Richard Wooster1, Nazneen Rahman2 & Michael R. Stratton1,2  About the authors

Top

A central aim of cancer research has been to identify the mutated genes that are causally implicated in oncogenesis ('cancer genes'). After two decades of searching, how many have been identified and how do they compare to the complete gene set that has been revealed by the human genome sequence? We have conducted a 'census' of cancer genes that indicates that mutations in more than 1% of genes contribute to human cancer. The census illustrates striking features in the types of sequence alteration, cancer classes in which oncogenic mutations have been identified and protein domains that are encoded by cancer genes.

Author affiliations

  1. Cancer Genome Project, Human Genome Analysis Group and Pfam Group, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton Cambs, CB10 1SA, UK.
  2. Section of Cancer Genetics, Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Rd, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5NG, UK.

Correspondence to: Michael R. Stratton1,2 Email: mrs@sanger.ac.uk

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.

NEWS AND VIEWS

Linking chromosomal clues

Nature Genetics News and Views (01 Jan 1997)

Cancer A ringleader identified

Nature News and Views (16 Oct 2008)

RESEARCH

Patterns of somatic mutation in human cancer genomes

Nature Article (08 Mar 2007)

Extra navigation

Subscribe

Subscribe to Nature Reviews Cancer

naturejobs

natureproducts


Advertisement