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CancerQuest > Introduction to Patient Information > Defining Cancer > Characteristics of Cancer Cells > Hallmarks of Cancer: Unlimited Number of Cell Divisions

Hallmarks of Cancer: Unlimited Number of Cell Divisions

While normal cells can only divide a finite number of times before stopping cell division and dying, cancer cells have the ability to divide endlessly without displaying the normal 'aging' seen in non-cancer cells. In many cancers this is due to the activation of an enzyme, telomerase, that maintains the integrity of the chromosomes during cell division.