The response to DNA damage, responsible of activating p53-mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, is a dominant mechanism of p53-mediated network and strongly conserved across species, including Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. Experimental evidence however emerged over the past decade, questioning the simplistic interpretation that p53 tumour suppression mainly rely on the regulation of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The gene discussed is TP53; the disease is neoplasm.