Hallmarks of Cancer - A guide to the traits that define tumor development

Sep 8, 2026

Upload by Miles

Presentation on the 10 key traits shared by most cancers, explaining how these capabilities enable tumors to begin, grow, survive, and spread. Each trait is contrasted between cancer cells and normal cells, covering proliferative signaling, evasion of growth suppression, resistance to cell death, replicative immortality, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, energy metabolism changes, immune evasion, genome instability and mutation, and tumor-promoting inflammation. Includes prompts to explore the newer hallmarks proposed in 2022.

LanguageEnglish

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Pages1

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The 10 Key Traits of Cancer

What is it?

Sustaining proliferative signaling

Evading growth suppressors

Resisting cell death

Enabling replicative immortality

Inducing angiogenesis

Activating invasion and metastasis

Reprogramming energy metabolism

Avoiding immune destruction

Genome instability and mutation

Tumor-promoting inflammation

Newer hallmarks proposed in 2022

Hallmarks of Cancer GENTLE CARE WELLNESS CENTER A guide to the traits that define tumor development REALLYGREATSITE.COM Sustaining proliferative signaling Genome instability and mutation Avoiding immune destruction Tumor-promoting inflammation Inducing angiogenesis Resisting cell death Enabling replicative immortality Reprogramming energy metabolism Evading growth suppressors Activating invasion and metastasis The 10 Key Traits of Cancer What is it? Over decades of research, scientists have identified 10 key traits that most cancers share. They help explain how cancer begins, grows, survives, and spreads. Understanding these traits gives insight into how cancer works and how treatments can target it. Sustaining proliferative signaling Cancer cells Normal cells Only divide when they receive external signals (like growth factors) from the body. Don’t wait for external signals. They make their own or keep growth signals permanently “switched on.” GENTLE CARE WELLNESS CENTER Evading growth suppressors Cancer cells Normal cells Use proteins like p53 or Rb as brakes that stop division when it’s unsafe or unnecessary. Ignore or disable these growth-stopping mechanisms, allowing uncontrolled cell division. GENTLE CARE WELLNESS CENTER GENTLE CARE WELLNESS CENTER Resisting cell death Cancer cells Normal cells Undergo apoptosis (programmed cell death) if damaged or no longer needed. Ignore death signals and keep dividing, even when damaged. They may also switch off the genes that trigger apoptosis. GENTLE CARE WELLNESS CENTER Enabling replicative immortality Cancer cells Normal cells Can only divide a limited number of times. Their telomeres (chromosome ends) shorten with each division. Activate telomerase, an enzyme that rebuilds telomeres, allowing endless cell division. GENTLE CARE WELLNESS CENTER Inducing angiogenesis Cancer cells Normal cells Only signal for new blood vessels when needed, like during wound healing. Release signals that force the body to grow new blood vessels to feed the tumor. GENTLE CARE WELLNESS CENTER Activating invasion and metastasis Cancer cells Normal cells Stay in their original tissue. Strong cell-to-cell connections keep them in place. Break away, invade nearby tissue, and travel through the body to form new tumors. Reprogramming energy metabolism Cancer cells Normal cells Use aerobic respiration in the mitochondria to make energy efficiently (ATP). Prefer glycolysis — a less efficient process that helps them grow quickly by creating building blocks for new cells. GENTLE CARE WELLNESS CENTER Avoiding immune destruction Cancer cells Normal cells Abnormal or infected cells are detected and destroyed by the immune system. Develop ways to hide from the immune system by suppressing danger signals or disabling immune cells. GENTLE CARE WELLNESS CENTER GENTLE CARE WELLNESS CENTER Genome instability and mutation Cancer cells Normal cells Have strict systems that check and repair DNA to keep the genome stable. Lose these repair systems, leading to mutations that help them evolve and survive. GENTLE CARE WELLNESS CENTER Tumor-promoting inflammation Cancer cells Normal cells Inflammation is a temporary response to injury or infection and stops once healing is complete. Use chronic (long-term) inflammation to access growth signals and attract blood vessels, supporting tumor growth. GENTLE CARE WELLNESS CENTER Sustaining proliferative signaling Read about the newer hallmarks proposed in 2022. Choose two to highlight: List their names Briefly explain one in your own words Describe how it helps cancer grow or spread Fonts Design Elements / Icons Colors This presentation template uses the following free fonts: You can find these fonts online too. DM Sans Bold Public Sans Regular TITLES: BODY TEXT: #F1F1F2 #BDFF32 #B0C5F0 #10163F #0530ED Use these in your presentation. Delete or hide this page before presenting. Resource Page This presentation template is free for everyone to use, thanks to the following: for this present

FAQs

What does the presentation mean by the “10 key traits of cancer”?

Over decades of research, scientists identified 10 traits that most cancers share. These traits help explain how cancer begins, grows, survives, and spreads.

How do cancer cells sustain proliferative signaling?

Cancer cells can create their own growth signals or keep them permanently “switched on,” rather than dividing only when external signals are received.

How does genome instability and mutation help cancer evolve?

By losing DNA repair systems, cancer cells accumulate mutations that help them evolve and survive, strengthening their ability to adapt.

Sep 8, 2026

Upload by Miles