How do the cancer cells grow?

As an expert in the field of cellular biology, I can explain the process of how cancer cells grow. Cancer development is a complex process involving multiple steps. Here's a simplified overview: 1. Mutations: Cancer often begins with genetic mutations in a cell's DNA. These mutations can be inherited, or they can occur spontaneously during the cell's normal replication process. They can also be caused by exposure to certain environmental factors, such as tobacco smoke, radiation, or certain chemicals. 2. Uncontrolled Division: When the DNA in a cell is mutated, it can disrupt the normal regulatory mechanisms that control cell division. This can lead to a cell dividing uncontrollably, creating more cells with the same mutation. 3. Evasion of Apoptosis: Normal cells undergo a process called apoptosis, or programmed cell death, when they are damaged or no longer needed. Cancer cells often evade this process, allowing them to live and continue to divide. 4. Angiogenesis: As a tumor grows, it requires more nutrients to sustain its growth. Cancer cells can stimulate the growth of new blood vessels, a process known as angiogenesis, which provides the tumor with the oxygen and nutrients it needs to grow. 5. Metastasis: Once a tumor has grown to a certain size, some cancer cells can break away and travel through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to form new tumors in other parts of the body. 6. Immune Evasion: Cancer cells can also develop mechanisms to avoid detection and destruction by the immune system, allowing them to grow and spread.

Cancer is ultimately the result of cells that uncontrollably grow and do not die. Normal cells in the body follow an orderly path of growth, division, and death. Programmed cell death is called apoptosis, and when this process breaks down, cancer begins to form.