Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Oncogén
Oncogene (ON-koh-jeen)
A gene that is a mutated (changed) form of a gene involved in normal cell growth. Oncogenes may cause the growth of cancer cells. Mutations in genes that become oncogenes can be inherited or caused by being exposed to substances in the environment that cause cancer.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.