Definition of Tumor suppressor gene

Pancreatic Cancer Slideshow

Tumor suppressor gene: A protective gene that normally limits the growth of tumors. When a tumor suppressor gene is mutated (altered), it may fail to keep a cancer from growing.

BRCA1, an example of tumor suppressor genes, was the first breast cancer gene to be identified; mutated forms of this gene are responsible for some cases of inherited breast cancer, especially those that occur in younger women.

Common Misspellings: tumour suppressor gene, tumur suppressor gene