The terms proto-oncogene and oncogene may give the misleading impression that th

"Most oncogenes are mutations of certain normal genes called proto-oncogenes. Protooncogenes are the "good" genes that normally control what kind of cell it is and how often it divides. When a proto-oncogene mutates (changes) into an oncogene, it becomes a "bad" gene that can become permanently turned on or activated when it is not supposed to be. When this happens, the cell grows out of control, which can lead to cancer."

this is quoted directed from an American Cancer Society PDF, but this is my first post so it won't let me post the link...

Perhaps they should be called Growth Regulation Genes instead

Proto-oncogene products play a role in cell growth or the cell cycle. Examples discussed in this chapter include growth factors, protein kinases, and membrane-associated G proteins. Had they not been discovered in defective form as oncogenes, they would be named more precisely for their function.