What are the characteristics of a cancer cell

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.

Essentially, cancer is a disease of mitosis. As such, it occurs when normal cells are transformed into cancerous cells and proliferate uncontrollably. Cancer cells, therefore, are normal cells whose genes (several genes) have been damaged/mutated which in turn cause the cell as a whole to respond differently to signals that control the lifespan of a normal cell.

Because they do not respond to signals/instructions that control the development and death of normal cells, cancer cells continue to grow and proliferate and even invade other parts of the body. In the process, some of the cancer cells end up forming tumors not only at the first region to be affected (lungs etc) but also result in secondary malignant growths away from the primary site known as metastasis

Some of the main characteristics of cancer cells that differentiate them from other normal cells include:

-Abnormally shaped and significantly vary in size

-Incapable of self-repair

-Do not go through normal apoptosis

-Do not perform normal cell functions (as is the case with specialized cells)

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