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How does cancer begin in a human body? What causes it?
Why are cancer cells immortal?
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- SpreedogLv 79 years agoFavorite Answer
Look up HeLa cells http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeLa
These cells are immortal. Not all cancer cells are immortal.
Cancers begin when there is damage to the genetic material
in a cell that makes the cell lose the "brakes" that normally
inhibit cellular replication after a certain number of cells
have been made be cell division/mitosis.
The injury may be caused by a chemical - numerous carcinogenic
chemicals are present in tobacco smoke, or radiation exposure.
Even sunlight is carcinogenic. The initial tumor cells have to evade
the immune system to get a "foothold."
Source(s): MD Medical Oncologist and Hematologist - a cancer and blood specialist doctor - with twenty years experience
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