Which of the following is considered a common hallmark of cancer?

Sustained proliferative signaling is recognized as a hallmark of cancer because cancer cells develop the ability to continuously signal for growth and division, ignoring the normal regulatory mechanisms that limit cellular proliferation. In healthy tissues, cells receive growth signals that promote division in a controlled manner, while also having mechanisms to halt growth when necessary. In contrast, cancer cells can produce their own growth signals or hijack existing signaling pathways to maintain incessant proliferation, leading to tumor growth.

This uncontrolled signaling is a key characteristic of cancer, allowing tumors to grow without regard for the normal constraints of cell division. Hence, this ability to sustain proliferative signals is fundamentally linked to the progression of many cancer types, making it a central feature in the development and maintenance of malignancies.