Because yeasts are such a useful model in the laboratory, lots of work has been done to understand their genetics and biochemistry. In 1996, the entire yeast genome was sequenced and many genes in yeast were conserved in humans, 20% of these genes are known to play an important role in human disease. This included genes that are involved in cancer, including many that are linked to regulating the cell cycle, and other aspects of tumorgenesis. Yeast transformation was used by researchers to help  determine the function and significance of certain genes/proteins in cancer.  For example a group studied the importance of a molecule called Beclin 1, and found that this molecule was able to induce cells to essentially eat themselves (autophagy) resulting in a decreased tumorgenesis.