Kasvajarakkudele

"Kasvajarakkudele" is the Estonian dative plural form of the word "kasvajarakud," meaning "to tumor cells." In scientific and medical contexts, the underlying concept—tumor cells—refers to cells that have acquired genetic and epigenetic changes leading to uncontrolled proliferation and altered behavior compared with normal cells.

Tumor cells are characterized by sustained proliferative signaling, resistance to growth suppressors, evasion of programmed cell death, replicative immortality, induction of angiogenesis, tissue invasion and metastasis, and metabolic reprogramming. They are often genetically heterogeneous within a single tumor, a feature that contributes to variable treatment responses and disease progression. The tumor microenvironment, including stromal cells, immune cells and extracellular matrix, interacts dynamically with tumor cells and influences growth and therapeutic resistance.

Clinically, tumor cells are the cellular basis of benign and malignant neoplasms. Detection and characterization rely on imaging, histopathology, molecular profiling and biomarkers. Therapeutic strategies target tumor cells directly (surgery, radiotherapy, cytotoxic chemotherapy), or their specific vulnerabilities (targeted therapies, hormone therapy, immunotherapy) and the supporting microenvironment. Ongoing research seeks to better understand mechanisms of metastasis, intratumoral heterogeneity, immune evasion and mechanisms of drug resistance.

Understanding tumor cells at molecular and cellular levels remains central to cancer research and clinical oncology, with the goal of developing more effective, less toxic and more personalized treatments.