New Insight of Oncology: Cancer Concept without Tumor

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of current trends in the field of oncology, as an industry that was influenced by both scientific discoveries and the very order of civilization development as a whole. The key technological breakthroughs that have had an impact on oncology in the medium and long term perspective, as well as changes in the structure and approaches to the treatment of oncological diseases, which, in their turn, can determine the foresight of oncology development for the coming decades, are outlined. The TNM (tumor, lymph node, and metastasis) Classification of Malignant Tumors has been critically reassessed through the prism of the achievements in modern molecular biology. In this context, we are inevitably moving towards a new paradigm of oncological science "cancer without a tumor", where the tumor itself becomes a symptom of a systemic "oncological disease". The concept of "cancer without a tumor" has been proposed for the first time. This article is intended to engage professional communities in the oncology field in a discussion of understanding the transformation of the modern concept of oncological diseases.