The mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1, mTORC1, is composed of several subunit proteins with many cellular responsibilities including participation in a complex cell signaling cascade leading to autophagy, which is the regulated degradation of cell components. mTORC1 is frequently mutated or dysregulated within human cancer. Normally, mTORC1 functions to provide efficient regulation of autophagy according to intracellular levels of growth factors, amino acids, nutrients, oxygen levels, and more that can either inhibit mTORC1 and upregulate autophagy or activate mTORC1 and downregulate autophagy. A better understanding of mTORC1 is imperative to preparing cancer therapy treatments. Various cancerous tissue types require specific mTORC1 inhibitors based on the area of dysregulation in the autophagy cell signaling pathway.