Apoptosis in Cancer Cells.

Programmed cell death changes and loss of cell growth and anti-growth regulation signals may result in uncontrolled cell proliferation, disorganized tissue growth and tumor formation. Malignant solid tumors, i.e. lung and brain tumors, are one of the most common and the most serious diseases nowadays and therefore considered a major issue in modern medicine. Despite intensive progress in cancer research, the survival rate of patients with diagnosed malignant solid tumors hasn't improved significantly. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy work predominantly by inducing apoptosis. The purpose of this article is to describe the role of apoptosis and to review currently known agents that allow induction of apoptosis in cancer cells. The identification of potential new targets for tumor treatment and processes in altered tumor cell metabolism is the challenging area of research. Recognizing the attributes of malignant tumor growth inhibition may help in the development of novel treatment strategies.