Cancer is fundamentally a disease of abnormal gene/pathway function caused by specific alterations in the genome. The nature of these alterations – genetic and epigenetic, and the mechanisms that lead to such genomic changes is the focus of this GRC series. The field has seen a dramatic shift in the past decade from a pure genetic explanation for cancer to a mixed genetic/epigenetic explanation that has important implications for understanding disease causation, deciphering the pathways affected and devising new strategies for prevention and treatment of cancer. Sessions in the meeting will be devoted to recent developments with particular emphasis on whole genome approaches that are revolutionizing the field. Sessions will discuss genomic alterations (mutations, chromosomal changes) and epigenomic alterations (DNA methylation, histone modifications) in cancer in humans as well as in-vitro or animal models. Interactions between genetic and epigenetic changes will also be highlighted, as will clinical implications of the findings, with emphasis on drugs that target genetic or epigenetic changes.