Although the sequence of events that transform a cell from normal to malignant is still unknown, it is increasingly clear that a variety of biological and environmental factors come into play, including inherited mutations in specific genes that may predispose an individual to a specific type of cancer, chromosomal changes (translocations) that alter the action of specific cancer-regulating genes, hormonal influences (in cancers of the breast and prostate, for example), and immunologic disruption.

Eliminating cancer will require the development of new therapeutic strategies based not on traditional ablative, one-size-fits-all approaches, but on a thorough understanding of the intricate machinery of the many different forms of the disease. Armed with detailed blueprints of cancer cells assembled from decades of basic and clinical investigation, Millennium researchers are applying their advanced understanding of the workings of the human genome to identify the key structures and circuits that can be blocked to slow, halt, or even reverse the malignant transformation of normal cells.

Researchers and clinicians have made tremendous strides toward understanding the biological and molecular origins of many forms of cancer, and there have been hard-won victories. Yet even with these advances, the overall death toll from cancer has remained steady.

With the map of the human genome in hand, Millennium scientists and their partners in academic and pharmaceutical research are tracing the roots of both common and rare cancers, looking at the molecular and genetic levels for the early steps that send a normal cell on the road to malignancy. This information can then be used to develop highly specific drugs targeted against features unique to specific cancer cells, which in combination with a new generation of diagnostic and prognostic products can be used to ensure delivery of the right medicine to the right patient, at the right time.