One of the most significant consequences of insufficient apoptosis is its contribution to the development and progression of cancer. Normally, apoptosis acts as a safety mechanism to eliminate cells with DNA damage or oncogenic mutations. When this process is impaired, these potentially malignant cells can survive, proliferate, and eventually form tumors. Many cancers exhibit defects in the apoptotic pathways, often through mutations in genes such as TP53, which encodes the tumor suppressor protein p53, or overexpression of anti-apoptotic proteins like Bcl-2.
