“Malignant” is a term used in medicine to describe cells or tumors that are cancerous. Malignant cells differ from normal cells in several ways, including their appearance, behavior, and growth patterns.
Key features of malignant cells include:
- Uncontrolled Growth: Malignant cells can multiply and grow in an uncontrolled manner. Unlike normal cells, they do not respond to the body’s signals to stop dividing when there are enough cells present.
- Ability to Invade Other Tissues: Malignant cells can invade nearby tissues and structures, a feature that is not seen in benign (non-cancerous) cells. This ability to invade and destroy surrounding tissue is one of the hallmarks of cancer.
- Ability to Spread (Metastasize): Malignant cells can break away from the original (primary) tumor, travel through the blood or lymph system, and form new tumors (metastases) in other parts of the body. This is another key feature that distinguishes malignant cells from benign cells.
- Genetic Mutations: Malignant cells often have mutations in their DNA that normal cells do not. These mutations can lead to the production of abnormal proteins that contribute to the cells’ malignant behavior.
- Immortality: Unlike normal cells, which have a limited lifespan, malignant cells can continue to divide indefinitely, in part due to the activation of mechanisms that prevent telomere shortening.
- Angiogenesis: Malignant cells can stimulate the growth of new blood vessels to supply the tumor with nutrients, a process called angiogenesis.
- Avoidance of Apoptosis: Normal cells undergo a process of programmed cell death (apoptosis) when they are damaged or no longer needed. Malignant cells have mechanisms to avoid apoptosis, allowing them to survive and grow when they should not.
Malignant cells can arise from any tissue in the body and can lead to a wide variety of cancers, each with its own set of characteristics and behaviors.
