The Unkindest Cut: How Wounds Can Trigger Tumor Growth

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By Patrick Morgan
Feb 15, 2011 4:05 PMJul 11, 2023 6:16 PM

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Sometimes, even a tiny cut can have serious and unexpected consequences. New research reveals that even a minor flesh wound can cause previously dormant cancer cells to develop into tumors.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,  focuses on basal cell carcinoma, a variety of skin cancer associated with hair follicle cells. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer, and while it rarely metastasizes or kills it’s still considered malignant.

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