Cancer cells can grow anywhere in the body, from breast cancer to lung cancer. Those that occur in women are more likely to develop breast cancer, while men are more likely to develop prostate cancer. Men are also susceptible to colorectal cancer and lung cancer. In addition, lymphomas, which start in the immune system, can also develop into cancers of the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. Cancer of the bone marrow, in turn, can become cancerous.
During their normal development stages, normal cells continually divide, dividing, and repairing injured tissues. In contrast, cancer cells to keep growing because they don’t respond to signals, which tell them to commit cell suicide or apoptosis. They invade nearby tissues and often have finger-like projections. This makes them difficult to remove surgically. And because they cannot be destroyed by surgical methods, they can spread through the body. This is the primary reason why cancer is so difficult to treat.
When cancer cells divide rapidly, they become cancer. They don’t die when they should, which leads to the disease. These uncontrolled cells can eventually pile up to form a tumor and spread to other areas of the body. They can also trick the body’s immune system into helping them grow. Because cancer cells don’t die when they should, they can grow indefinitely and even cause more damage to healthy tissues. There are several different types of cancer cells, and each one has unique characteristics.
The term “metastasis” literally means “new place.” This term is used to describe the final stage of the cancer process, where the cancerous cells spread to another location. The cancer cells then divide and lay the foundation for a secondary tumor. The key to stopping cancer cells from spreading is to stop their metastasis. Invading new areas means that cancer cells have to break through normal barriers. This is difficult to do, but if left untreated, they could spread to other parts of the body.
In a complex process, the body’s cells must lose several mechanisms to prevent cancer. Usually, multiple mechanisms must fail before the cancerous cells reach a critical mass. Typically, mutations in DNA cause cancer cells to grow much more rapidly. These mutations in DNA make the cells divide faster and bypass external and internal controls on cell division. The mutations also allow cancer cells to resist programmed cell death, which means they don’t die when they should.
Bacteria-derived cancer cells have acquired a unique ability to resist the immune system’s destruction. Unlike their human counterparts, these bacteria survive by invading normal cells. Bacterial-derived cancer cells are the ones that acquire this ability. Once they are inside a host cell, they acquire the capability to resist the immune system and thus become cancer cells. This process is known as senescence. The BOCC theory has rewritten the rules of cancer biology and will hopefully help scientists find the answers to this question.
