Six hallmarks of cancer,

1. Self sufficiency in growth signals

-Secrete growth factors that stimulate own growth
-Increase growth factor receptors
-Cell surface receptor is mutated in the "on" position-constant cell growth/division
-no longer dependent on external signals

2. Insensitivity to antigrowth signals

-Antigrowth signals stop unregulated growth- are inactivated in cancer
-ignore normal signalling that limits the growth of cells to prevent abnormal division

3. Evading apoptosis (Cell Death)

-Normally apoptosis triggered in response to normal development and excess growth
-evades cell death that is crucial for maintaining tumor growth and allowing cancerous cells to form in the first stage of disease development
-Pathway to apoptosis is disabled (mutation of p53)

4.Limitless replicative potential

-Activate telomerase to restore and maintain telomeres at the end of chromosomes, to prvent them from shortening, allowing indefinite replication
-Protect their chromosomes- retain the ability to divide over and over again

5. Sustained angiogenesis

-Stimulate angiogenesis to form their own blood supply- delivers O2 and nutrients
-induces the creation of its own blood supply

6. Tissue invasion and metastasis

-Specific mutations activate ability of cells to metastasize
-invasion of the normal host tissue
-Ex. decreased cell to cell adhesion, secretion of preteases that digest surrrounding barriers, and ability grow into new locations