Cancer is fundamentally a disease of the genes. At the molecular level, it involves mutations and alterations in DNA that disrupt normal cell functions. These changes can affect genes that regulate cell growth, apoptosis (programmed cell death), and DNA repair mechanisms. Key players in these processes are oncogenes, which promote cell proliferation, and tumor suppressor genes, which inhibit it. Mutations in these genes can lead to uncontrolled cell division and tumor formation.
