The Biology of Cancer

Cancer can be thought as a complex adaptive system with emerging properties at different biological scales. The study of the disease using this approach requires an integration of systems biology to cancer research. Tumors are characterized by the presence of genomic and epigenetic anomalies, which alter the functions and interactions of different molecules and networks relative to the local environment. Cancer systems biology thus offers a holistic study of cancer by taking into account its genetics, clinical or preclinical manifestation, signaling networks, cellular behavior, histology and epidemiology. Such a study can be aided using high-throughput technologies that enable genomic analyses of mutations, methylation, copy number variations and rearrangements both at cellular and tissue levels. These also facilitate robust analyses of RNA and microRNA expression data, and protein and metabolite levels. Cancer systems biology is an upcoming field of science that has undergone rapid development over the past few decades. It presents researches and studies performed by experts across the globe on the biology of cancer. As this field is emerging at a rapid pace, the contents of this book will help the readers understand the modern concepts and applications of the subject.