Boveri likened some of the resulting malformed embryos to tumors and, in 1914, predicted that gains or losses of specific chromosomes would initiate cancer.

• 波威利将某些由染色体失常造成的畸形胚胎与肿瘤相提并论，而于1914年提出假说：多出或失去某些特定染色体，将引发癌症。