Update on lymphoma pathology II: the role of genetic mutations in the pathogenesis of lymphoid neoplasia

In a sense we know the cause of cancer; it is genetic mutations. These operate by progressively damaging the mechanism for control of the cell mitotic cycle. For mutations to do this several condition must apply: • the mutations must somehow escape the cell's DNA repair mechanism • the mutant cell must be able to enter the mitotic cycle by evading normal mechanisms which prevent this • the mutant cell must survive the effects of the mutation and be able to pass on its defective DNA to succeeding generations of its progeny. When sufficient mutations have accumulated in its mitotic control genes, a cell can break free of mitotic control and become a cancer cell.