From the 1960s through to the 1980s, cancer was generally described as a problem of the regulation of one or many biological systems. However, a new definition of cancer emerged in the scientific community following the discovery of the first oncogene in 1976 (Morange, 1997). According to the oncogene theory, oncogenes establish a specific pathway for the growth of cancer. Our study aims to evaluate how this paradigm shift transforms practices and research objects in oncology at the Montreal Cancer Institute (MCI). We studied the policies set up for the development of the Institute, the research organisation and the practices of the researchers. We have taken a special interest in the transformation of the research objects and experimental systems and the restructuring of scientific production and researcher training. Our research is based on an analysis of the MCI annual reports from 1970, researchers résumés and their publications and interviews with researchers and the scientific directors since 1975.

Centre interuniversitaire de recherche sur la science et la technologie
Département d’histoire de l’Université du Québec à Montréal
CP 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal (Québec), Canada, H3C 3P8
Courriel : houle.anne-julie@courrier.uqam.ca

Page mise à jour le 20 août, 2003
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