The Shape Of A Cell Changes As It Becomes Cancerous

Shown below is an example of the shape changes that characterize cancer cells. A differentiated epithelial cell often has a tall, column-like appearance. This shape, which helps it to perform its normal functions, is maintained by the actin cytoskeleton (microfilaments). In differentiated epithelium, actin is organized into structures that stabilize cell interactions between neighbors. As a normal cell becomes cancerous, its actin cytoskeleton is reorganized, causing the cell to break away from its neighbors and flatten.