Karakteristika svih somatskih stanica je njihov ograničeni životni vijek te regulirana proliferacija, diferencijacija i preživljavanje što je potrebno da bi organizam mogao funkcionirati. Kao posljedica djelovanja unutrašnjih i vanjskih faktora na organizam i zbog nepravilne regulacije kontrolnih mehanizama, stanice dobivaju nove biološke osobine odnosno maligni fenotip. Tumorske stanice imaju svojstvo klonalnosti što znači da tumor nastaje nekontroliranom proliferacijom jedne stanice. Proces karcinogeneze nastaje kao posljedica djelovanja karcinogena koji oštećuju DNA i induciraju mutacije te promotora koji stimuliraju proliferaciju stanica. U kontroli staničnih procesa, ali i u nastanku raka sudjeluju proteini kodirani genima. Onkogeni su geni koji potiču diobu stanica, dok tumor supresor geni inhibiraju proliferaciju i kontroliraju stanični ciklus. Cilj ovog rada je opisati svojstva tumorskih stanica, njihovo nastajanje i rast, objasniti gene uključene u nastanak raka, pristupe u liječenju tumora te važnost pravilne i raznolike prehrane, odnosno važnost hrane za očuvanje zdravlja i prevenciju nastanka tumora.

The characteristics of all somatic cells is their limited life duration and regulated proliferation, differentiation and survival necessary for the organism to function properly. As a result of internal and external factors on the organism, along with inappropriate regulation of control mechanism, the cells receive new biological characteristics, also known as malignant. Tumor cells can duplicate meaning that the tumor acquires an ability for uncontrollable proliferation of cells. The process of carcinogenesis begins as a result of carcinogens that damage DNA and induce mutations and promoters that stimulate the proliferation of cells. In the control of cellular processes, the proteins encoded by genes participate in cancer formation. Oncogenes are genes which stimulate cell division, while tumor suppressor genes inhibit proliferation and control the cell’s life cycle. The objective of this thesis is to explain the properties of tumor cells, their formation, growth, and also to explain genes that are involved in the formation of cancer, approaches to treatment of tumors and the importance of a proper diet, as well as the importance of food as a preventative mean to the formation of tumors.