How do the original cancer cells in a human body start?

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RobertWeinbergPhD (Researcher (Verified) ) - 06 / 28 / 2012

As mentioned in a previous answer (http://talkabouthealth.com/how-do-cancer-cells-grow-and-replicate-so-quickly-do-they-reproduce-from-themselves-or-somehow-change-normal-cells-to-cancer-cells), cancer cells arise from normal cells in which damaged genetic information accumulates that perturbs the behavior of these cells. For example, when a smoker inhales, the mutagenic chemicals in the cigarette smoke damage genes in lung cells, and these cells, which now carry damaged genes including oncogenes, now begin to proliferate uncontrollably, leading years later to a lung cancer.
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