Cell Division in Cancer

Cell division is the process in which cells divide and multiply, creating new cells to replace those that die over time. Cancer cell division differs from normal cell creation in a number of ways.

DNA Damage

• Normal cells become cancerous when their DNA is damaged, according to the American Cancer Society. In noncancerous cells, DNA damage triggers cell repair or cell death, but in cancerous cells, division continues with the damaged DNA intact.

Abnormal Division

• Emory University reports that cancerous cells, unlike normal cells, can divide without the presence of external factors that normally spur cell growth. In some cases, cancer cells may actually turn off the cell receptors that respond to outside influences.

Contact Inhibition

• Noncancerous cells have a built-in trait called contact inhibition, which prevents them from growing after they make contact with other cells of their kind, reports Chemocare.com. Cancer cells ignore contact inhibition and continue to produce unneeded cells.

Defect Buildup

• In addition to abnormal DNA, cancer cells may contain abnormal numbers of chromosomes, notes Emory University. These defects may build up during cellular division, creating increasingly abnormal cells.

Accelerated Effects

• Depending on the specific genes affected inside cancer cells, division may result in accelerated tumor development or growth, according to Emory University.