What is cancer?

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by unregulated and uncontrolled cell growth, invasion, and the spread of these cells to other sites of the body. The keywords here are unregulated and uncontrolled. Learn more by reading "What Is Cancer?" in CR magazine.

About the Hallmarks of Cancer

What are growth factors?

Growth factors are substances made by the body that function to regulate cell division and cell survival. Some growth factors are also produced in the laboratory and used in biological therapy. Growth factors bind specific receptors expressed on the surface of the cells they affect. Read "Growth Factors: Jekyll and Hyde" published in CR magazine to learn more.
 

What is angiogenesis? 

Angiogenesis is blood vessel formation. Angiogenesis that occurs in cancer is the growth of blood vessels from surrounding tissue to a solid tumor. Angiogenesis is necessary for a tumor to grow larger and for metastases to grow at secondary sites. It is stimulated by growth factors such as VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor). Read "Targeting Cancer Through Its Roots" published in CR magazine to learn more. 

What is metastasis? 

Metastasis is the spreading of cancer cells from one part of the body to another. When the cancer cells travel through the body and form secondary tumors, the cells in the metastatic tumor are like those in the original (primary) tumor. Read "When Tumor Cells Travel" published in CR magazine to learn more.   

What is apoptosis?

A normal series of events in a cell that leads to its death. Also called cell-suicide. Cancer cells have evaded a self-destruct program that makes damaged cells pack up and die. Researchers are trying to get the process going again. Read "Finding Cancer’s Self-Destruct Button" published in CR magazine to learn more.

Why do cancer cells grow and divide out of control?

Unlike most cells in the human body that have a limited number of times they can divide, cancer cells have limitless replicative potential. Read "Proliferation Potential" published in CR magazine to learn more.