Scientists believe you need a number of different changes to occur within your cells in order to develop cancer, including:
- An initiator: to cause a genetic mutation
or epigenetic changes
.
This can be inside your body (an inherited genetic mutation) or outside of your body, such as ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun or carcinogens in your environment.
- A promoter: to cause rapid cell growth.
Promoters take advantage of genetic mutations and cause cells to grow rapidly. This could lead to a tumor. Like initiators, promoters may come from inside your body or from outside your body.
- A progressor: to cause cancer to become aggressive and spread.
Without a progressor a tumor may remain benign and localized. Progressors make tumors more aggressive and more likely to spread. Like initiators and promoters, progressors can be inherited or they can come from environmental sources.
