The work of this lab is inspired by certain key aspects of this process:
Cells are constantly at risk of DNA damage, which can accumulate over many cell divisions. But this damage only results in cancer when it affects certain well-defined hallmark biological processes (insert link). For example, in many melanomas a specific point mutation to the gene for the BRAF protein causes constitutive growth signaling. A caption Metformin, a diabetes drug, is under investigation as a cancer therapy, while combination hormone replacement therapy was found to increase risk of breast cancer.