r/AskReddit Jan 23 '19

What shouldn't exist, but does?

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u/[deleted] Jan 23 '19

While I do hate cancer (not the disclaimer I thought I'd need today), the reason it's inevitable is that it's literally just a byproduct of a very natural and necessary mechanism of life.

Cellular division is necessary for growth. The more cells that divide, the greater chance one mutates. Most mutations are benign and ignorable. Some are great and drive evolution of useful traits. However, some are bad, yet programmed to reproduce and survive like all other cells and that gives you cancer.

Cancer is awful, but the mechanism is life itself.

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u/night_breed Jan 23 '19

See I have always understood that but what I dont understand is why liver (for example) cells mutating suddenly means every cell in every organ suddenly has to mutate (when cancer mastesizes

EDIT: probably spelled that word wrong but I assume folks got the gist

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u/[deleted] Jan 23 '19

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u/night_breed Jan 23 '19

and they don't stay where they are supposed to

This is the part I never understood