# What is apoptosis? Apoptosis is a process by which cells are programmed to self-destruct in a controlled and orderly manner. It is an important part of normal development and tissue repair, as it helps to remove unnecessary or damaged cells and maintain a stable and balanced environment within the body. It's like the death of leaves on trees in the fall — it's a naturally occurring housecleaning that makes room for new growth in the spring. But unlike the seasonal death of tree leaves, apoptosis in humans is triggered by different signals, including DNA damage, virus infection, and exposure to certain toxins or drugs. When a cell goes bad through one of these events it enters apoptosis, and goes through a series of structural and biochemical changes that lead to its death. Apoptosis is important because it helps to maintain the balance of cells in the body. When cells become damaged or are no longer needed, they undergo apoptosis to make way for new, healthy cells. # Why is apoptosis so important to cancer treatment? Under normal circumstances a young cancer cell *should* be recognized by our immune system as as damaged goods, and be programmed to die through apoptosis. But of course, cancer has developed a nasty superpower enabling it to turn off apoptosis in cancer cells. This makes them effectively immortal. Cancer cells can just keep growing and spreading and never have to worry about the process of apoptosis cleaning them out. This is why apoptosis is important to understand for anyone with cancer, because there are drugs, foods and supplements that act as apoptosis activators. These can turn back on apoptosis for cancer cells, and let our body take care of its bad-cell business like it's supposed to.