The Disrupted Steady-State: Tipping the Balance in Favour of Cancer

Genetic changes, such as the activation of oncogenes or the repression of tumour suppressors, contribute to the development of cancer, imparting malignant cells with the potential for self-promoting growth and survival in the presence of anti-growth or pro-apoptotic signals. However, while these changes may initiate the process of cancer development, they are not necessarily sufficient for disease progression, given the body’s intrinsic ability to regain homeostasis. Cancer initiation, promotion, and eventual progression depend on disruptions in normal homeostasis, as well as subsidiary processes imparted by cells of the tumour microenvironment. Recurring players that have been linked with disrupted homeostasis include inflammation and oxidative stress, which have both been strongly associated with the development of cancer. This chapter discusses the intricate relationship between the body and cancer, and how disruptions in normal physiological processes impact the maintenance of homeostasis and tissue repair, providing a framework for understanding the connection between dysregulated homeostatis and a complex disease such as cancer.