Which of the Following is Typical of Cancer Cells

Question

Which of the following is typical of cancer cells?  
A) Products of oncogenes inhibit mitosis.
B) Benign tumors invade normal tissue.
C) Malignant cells migrate.
D) Cancer cells lose the ability to divide.
E) The parent cell of the tumor contains a single mutation in a single checkpoint gene.

Accepted Answer

Malignant cells, unlike benign tumors, have the ability to migrate from their original location and invade nearby tissues. This characteristic makes cancer cells more dangerous, as they can spread throughout the body (a process known as metastasis). Products of oncogenes, which are mutated genes that promote cell division, can enhance mitosis instead of inhibiting it. Cancer cells do not lose the ability to divide; in fact, they often divide uncontrollably. The development of a tumor is usually caused by the accumulation of multiple mutations in various genes, not a single checkpoint gene.