ABSTRACT
According to a recent report published by the World Health Organization, more than 11 million people are diagnosed with cancer and 7 million die from the disease every year, making cancer one of the leading causes of death among humans worldwide (Stewart and Kleihues, 2003). More than 10 years are required for dormant tumor cells to become malignant tissues, which are then detected and diagnosed in clinical specimens. It has been well established by experimental data that the process of malignant cell conversion from normal cells has multiple stages, which involve genetic and epigenetic changes. In addition to inherited and acquired gene mutations, hormonal status, age, sex, and immune conditions of a given individual are all critical factors for cancer development.
