Final answer:
The statement is false, as cancer formation involves alterations in multiple genes like proto-oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes, not just a third of cell lines. Mutations in tumor-suppressor genes such as p53 are common in human cancers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The claim that only 1/3 of human cancer cell lines contain gene(s) that can transform is false. In reality, the transformation of a normal cell into a cancer cell is a complex, multi-stage process that often involves multiple genetic alterations to critical types of genes, such as proto-oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes like p53. Mutations in proto-oncogenes can give rise to oncogenes, which can instigate unregulated cell growth and division if not properly controlled or repaired. Tumor-suppressor genes normally act to inhibit these processes and ensure the orderly division and death of cells. When these genes are mutated, such as p53 found in more than half of all human tumors, the cell may begin to propagate these mutations and allow for the accumulation of more errors, progressively loosening controls on cell growth and cell division, and potentially leading to cancer.