if cancer is basically a clump of cells that dont want to die, why/how do things like cigarettes, asbestos, and the literal sun trigger it?

Question

if cancer is basically a clump of cells that dont want to die, why/how do things like cigarettes, asbestos, and the literal sun trigger it?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Instead of a bunch of cells that don’t want to die, think of it more like a bunch of cells that have had their self-destruct button broken, or the wiring from the self-destruct button to the “reactor” broken. Because that self destruct signal either is not being received or not being carried out properly, the cells keep growing & replicating in an uncontrolled manner.

Carcinogens (or things that cause cancer) like smoking, UV radiation, etc., are the things breaking the self destruct.