Since the discovery of the first cancer-causing genes in the 1970s, researchers have been eager to catalogue the mutations that can cause cancer. Each mutated gene holds the potential to expand our understanding of what causes the disease - and how to treat it. The latest progress towards that goal was on display last week, when 18,400 people descended on San Diego in California to attend the annual American Association for Cancer Research meeting. Researchers showed how patterns of mutation can be used to track down the agent that caused them - sunlight, for example, leaves a footprint that differs from a cancer-causing viral infection.
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