REVIEW: Rethinking the Evolutionary Origin, Function, and Treatment of Cancer

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Anatoly V. Lichtenstein^1,a*

¹N. N. Blokhin National Medical Research Centre of Oncology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 115478 Moscow, Russia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: September 29, 2024; Revised: September 29, 2024; Accepted: December 8, 2024

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Despite remarkable progress in basic oncology, practical results remain unsatisfactory. This discrepancy is partly due to the exclusive focus on processes within the cancer cell, which results in a lack of recognition of cancer as a systemic disease. It is evident that a wise balance is needed between two alternative methodological approaches: reductionism, which would break down complex phenomena into smaller units to be studied separately, and holism, which emphasizes the study of complex systems as integrated wholes. A consistent holistic approach has so far led to the notion of cancer as a special organ, stimulating debate about its function and evolutionary significance. This article discusses the role of cancer as a mechanism of purifying selection of the gene pool, the correlation between hereditary and sporadic cancer, the cancer interactome, and the role of metastasis in a lethal outcome. It is also proposed that neutralizing the cancer interactome may be a novel treatment strategy.

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KEY WORDS: war on cancer, cancer origin, cancer therapy, hallmarks of cancer, phenoptosis, cancer maleficence, neutralization strategy

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297924603575

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