传统的癌症观点强调基因优先的过程。新的癌症特征是由基因突变引起的，基因突变会扩散以驱动表型变化。然而，最近的数据支持表型优先的过程，其中不可遗传的细胞变异性创造了新的性状，这些性状随后通过遗传和表观遗传的变化而变得可遗传地稳定。单细胞测量强化了表型引导基因型的观点，显示癌症进化如何遵循正常的发育可塑性，并通过重组不同细胞发育程序的部分来创造新的特征。与此同时，进化生物学的研究也支持由发育可塑性和发育重组驱动的表型优先过程。癌症研究和进化生物学的这些进展相辅相成，加深了我们对细胞和生物体如何进化新特征以应对环境挑战的理解的一场革命。版权所有 © 2024 Elsevier Inc. 保留所有权利。

The traditional view of cancer emphasizes a genes-first process. Novel cancer traits arise by genetic mutations that spread to drive phenotypic change. However, recent data support a phenotypes-first process in which nonheritable cellular variability creates novel traits that later become heritably stabilized by genetic and epigenetic changes. Single-cell measurements reinforce the idea that phenotypes lead genotypes, showing how cancer evolution follows normal developmental plasticity and creates novel traits by recombining parts of different cellular developmental programs. In parallel, studies in evolutionary biology also support a phenotypes-first process driven by developmental plasticity and developmental recombination. These advances in cancer research and evolutionary biology mutually reinforce a revolution in our understanding of how cells and organisms evolve novel traits in response to environmental challenges.Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.