Cancer
cells are
cells that divide relentlessly, forming solid tumors or flooding the blood with abnormal cells. Cell division is a normal process used by the body for growth and repair. A parent cell divides to form two daughter cells, and these daughter
cells are used to build new tissue or to replace
cells that have died because of
aging or damage. Healthy
cells stop dividing when there is no longer a need for more daughter cells, but
cancer cells continue to produce copies. They are also able to spread from one part of the body to another in a process known as metastasis.
Cancer cells grow and divide at an abnormally rapid rate, are poorly differentiated, and have abnormal membranes, cytoskeletal proteins, and morphology. The abnormality in
cells can be progressive with a slow transition from normal
cells to benign tumors to malignant tumors.
Cancer cells are created when the genes responsible for regulating
cell division are damaged.
Carcinogenesis is caused by
mutation and epimutation of the genetic material of normal cells, which upsets the normal balance between proliferation and cell death. This results in uncontrolled
cell division and the
evolution of those
cells by natural selection in the body. The uncontrolled and often rapid proliferation of
cells can lead to benign or malignant tumours (cancer). Benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body or invade other tissues. Malignant tumors can invade other organs, spread to distant locations (metastasis) and become life-threatening.More than one
mutation is necessary for carcinogenesis. In fact, a series of several mutations to certain classes of genes is usually required before a normal cell will transform into a
cancer cell\
Relevant Topics in Medical Sciences