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Cited by 349

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 75 of the 75 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

The tissue organization field theory of cancer: A testable replacement for the somatic mutation theory

Open access
Soto, Ana M., Sonnenschein, Carlos·2011·BioEssays

Abstract

The somatic mutation theory (SMT) of cancer has been and remains the prevalent theory attempting to explain how neoplasms arise and progress. This theory proposes that cancer is a clonal, cell‐based disease, and implicitly assumes that quiescence is the default state of cells in multicellular organisms. The SMT has not been rigorously tested, and several lines of evidence raise questions that are not addressed by this theory. Herein, we propose experimental strategies that may validate the SMT. We also call attention to an alternative theory of carcinogenesis, the tissue organization field theory (TOFT), which posits that cancer is a tissue‐based disease and that proliferation is the default state of all cells. Based on epistemological and experimental evidence, we argue that the TOFT compellingly explains carcinogenesis, while placing it within an evolutionarily relevant context. magnified image magnified image Ana Soto and Carlos Sonnenschein are at Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

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Research works printed but not linked: 10

  1. Triolo VA, 1965, Nineteenth century foundations of cancer research advances in tumor pathology, nomenclature, and theories of oncogenesis, Cancer Res, 25, 76
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  3. 10.1038/453604a · doi:10.1038/453604a
  4. Sonnenschein C, 1999, The Society of Cells: Cancer and Control of Cell Proliferation
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  7. Orr JW, 1972, Tissue Interactions in Carcinogenesis, 291
  8. 10.1002/1097-0142(19880815)62:4<818::AID-CNCR2820620430>3.0.CO;2-K · doi:10.1002/1097-0142(19880815)62:4<818::aid-cncr2820620430>3.0.co;2-k
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  10. 10.1053/suro.2002.35051 · doi:10.1053/suro.2002.35051

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Metadata

Authors
Soto, A. M., & Sonnenschein, C.
Venue
BioEssays
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2011-04-18
Volume
33
Issue
5
Pages
332-340
ISSN
  • 0265-9247 (ISSN-L)
  • 1521-1878
OpenAlex
W2147656978
Cited by
349
References
75
FWCI
2.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
green

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: The tissue organization field theory of cancer: A testable replacement for the somatic mutation theory. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1002/bies.201100025
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Soto, A. M., & Sonnenschein, C. (2011). The tissue organization field theory of cancer: A testable replacement for the somatic mutation theory. BioEssays. https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.201100025

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