Next Steps for Oncogene and Tumor Suppressor Gene Research
Research in oncogenes has these goals.
- To find people at risk for inherited cancers before they develop it. Once found, at-risk people can take steps can to lower their cancer risk.
- To use tumor specific mutations to either tailor or predict the best cancer treatment.
- To use tumor specific mutations to better predict the patient’s outlook, or prognosis.
- To use clinical trials to study treatment, called gene therapy, aimed at correcting genetic defects.
- To study the structure of all genes in the human body. The Human Genome Project (HGP) is an international research program dedicated to building detailed maps of the human genome.
- To find genetic defects in ovarian and other cancers by studying the genetic code of a large number of cancers. This effort is called The Cancer Gene Atlas. It should be done in the next few years. This Atlas should result in new treatments.
For more information about cancer and genetics, go to the NCI Cancer Web site at www.cancer.gov or call the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4CANCER.