ATF4 suppresses the expression of the cellular senescence-associated gene Cdkn2a (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2a) to drive oncogenic transformation (Horiguchi et al. 2012) and enhances expression of the anti-apoptotic gene myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) (Hu et al. 2012), the autophagy-initiating kinase Ulk1 (Pike et al. 2013), and heme oxygenase 1 (Hmox-1) (Dey et al. 2015) to promote cancer cell survival. This evidence concerns the gene HMOX1 and cancer.