Antioxidant Linked To Possible Cancer Promotion

Antioxidants do not necessarily protect from cancers. Apoptosis concerns programmed cell death and if this process is interrupted cancer tumour cells can survive and proliferate. Cells have been found to use vitamin E-like antioxidants to enable such a block and changes caused by the antioxidants allow cells to survive without the usual constituents by switching to fatty acids rather than glucose as fuel.

Chemistry World (August, 2009)

Normal cells need to be attached to a matrix in order to survive, but rapidly proliferating (potential) tumour cells fill up this space forcing tumour cells to detach from the matrix. Detaching cells are usually programmed to die, but this dodge allows them to survive.