DNA is the instruction set for protein synthesis. If your DNA is damaged beyond repair that's an issue, and sure apoptosis is the usual result and not cancer. At the same time however when cells die either from the direct impact of DNA damage or apoptosis they both stop working and spill their contents into the area... including signalling molecules that promote inflammation.

The sunburn you feel isn't a distress signal from cells warning that they can't be trusted, it's tissue death and an inflammatory reaction triggered by a cytokine response.

> > [The sunburn you feel is] cells signalling "something damaged me and I can't be trusted, I'm shutting down, recycle me" to your immune-system, plus the attendant bustle of hazmat-cleanup and increased security-sweeps for cancer-leftovers and other potential causes of the damage.cells signalling "something damaged me and I can't be trusted, I'm shutting down, recycle me" to your immune-system, plus the attendant bustle of hazmat-cleanup and increased security-sweeps

> The sunburn you feel isn't a distress signal from cells warning that they can't be trusted, it's tissue death and an inflammatory reaction triggered by a cytokine response.

I feel that's more of a restatement than a contradiction.

The cell shutdown is (eventually) violent and messy, signalling involves cytokines, and the "hazmat and security" metaphor is an inflammation response.