TY - JOUR
T1 - Cancer and the goals of integration
AU - Plutynski, Anya
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2013 Elsevier Ltd.
PY - 2013/12/1
Y1 - 2013/12/1
N2 - Cancer is not one, but many diseases, and each is a product of a variety of causes acting (and interacting) at distinct temporal and spatial scales, or "levels" in the biological hierarchy. In part because of this diversity of cancer types and causes, there has been a diversity of models, hypotheses, and explanations of carcinogenesis. However, there is one model of carcinogenesis that seems to have survived the diversification of cancer types: the multi-stage model of carcinogenesis. This paper examines the history of the multistage theory, and uses the theory as a case study in the limits and goals of unification as a theoretical virtue, comparing and contrasting it with "integrative" research.
AB - Cancer is not one, but many diseases, and each is a product of a variety of causes acting (and interacting) at distinct temporal and spatial scales, or "levels" in the biological hierarchy. In part because of this diversity of cancer types and causes, there has been a diversity of models, hypotheses, and explanations of carcinogenesis. However, there is one model of carcinogenesis that seems to have survived the diversification of cancer types: the multi-stage model of carcinogenesis. This paper examines the history of the multistage theory, and uses the theory as a case study in the limits and goals of unification as a theoretical virtue, comparing and contrasting it with "integrative" research.
KW - Cancer
KW - Causation
KW - Integration
KW - Modeling
KW - Reduction
KW - Unification
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84908512394&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.shpsc.2013.03.019
DO - 10.1016/j.shpsc.2013.03.019
M3 - Article
C2 - 23582848
AN - SCOPUS:84908512394
SN - 1369-8486
VL - 44
SP - 466
EP - 476
JO - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C :Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
JF - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C :Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
IS - 4
ER -