• Question: what causes cancer cells to develop?

    Asked by Cookie to Jenny on 15 Nov 2016. This question was also asked by minininjart.
    • Photo: Jenny Batson

      Jenny Batson answered on 15 Nov 2016:

      Hi Cookie
      Cancer cells develop from normal cells when they undergo mutations in genes. Some mutations are inherited and others are caused by environmental and lifestyle insults such as smoking and exposure to too much sun. Normal cells are under strict control for growth, division and death but mutations in some genes can mean that they get out of control, divide too much and ignore the restrictions and this can lead to cancer. Normal cells have a lot of controls which is why we don’t get cancer more often, and usually several mutations in important control genes are required for cancer to develop but it depends on what type of cancer it is.
      Jenny

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