oncogenic pathways

Oncogenic pathways are biological routes inside cells that, when functioning normally, regulate growth and division. However, in cancer, these pathways become mutated or overactive, causing cells to grow uncontrollably and evade normal death processes. This unchecked growth leads to tumor formation. Think of these pathways as communication networks that tell cells when to grow or stop; when they malfunction, they trick cells into proliferating abnormally, contributing to cancer development. Understanding these pathways helps researchers develop targeted treatments to block or fix the faulty signals, controlling cancer growth more precisely.