Molecular mechanisms in cancer development

Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells without any regulation. Normally cells communicate to the neighboring cells to maintain the homeostasis and balance between cell division and cell death. In cancer, the balance is disrupted, and the cell starts growing without any control. Genetic damages caused by many factors are responsible for the uncontrolled growth. Due to the genetic mutations, many regulators that function in normal cell division, apoptosis, and control the rate of proliferation, start acting abnormally. The abnormal function of regulators helps in the expression of many other genes which cause uncontrolled proliferation. A clear understanding of molecular mechanisms involved in the development of cancer cells could help us to identify and correct genetic mutations so that the abnormality in the cell division might be ruled over. The present chapter deals with a brief description of the molecular changes that take place during cancer development, metastasis, and angiogenesis.