Contributions of stochastic events to biological evolution and cancer
Anderson KM, Michael Rubenstein, P Guinan, Patel Mk · Journal of Cancer Research & Therapy · 2015
A backlash of criticism of the paper and its' reporting was said to have resulted [2,3].Criticisms included, among others, over simplification and the omission of breast and prostate cancers, due however to insufficient data and the generation of undue pessimism regarding attempts to avoid cancer.Nevertheless, there is a great deal of evidence in support of the original thesis.For the generation of variant cells, especially those exhibiting major developmental, evolutionary or malignant change, stochastic (random) genetic and epigenetic mutations provide the major impetus for their creation [4][5][6].Unless cells exposed to potentially lethal environmental or intrinsic genetic, metabolic or therapeutic stress circumvent them, their survival, individually and of the clone, or even the organism is at risk.Cells undergoing malignant change