To push the metaphor a bit further isn't humanity itself a kind of cancer of the earth?
If life is growth, the goal is to spread as far and wide as possible. Life will spread to Mars, the moon, and beyond. (Or die trying, and inevitably, literally).
If life is balance, the goal is to exist as long as possible. To which we are not the reproductive system, but the cancer attacking it.
I believe there is a reasonable chance that the existing human generation is the one that will have a global discussion about this as a way to frame balance as a possible goal of humanity. And maybe that discussion will not go well, but simply to have it would be noteworthy.
Throughout history many civilizations based on endless growth started to collapse when they run out of territories to conquer or simply fuel. (e.g. the roman empire)
Grokking physics definitely accelerated this, but we have an opportunity ahead of us to stabilize. Not sure we'll be able to take it, though. Not with the systems of incentives that we have now.
IF the purpose of the company.
Not the purpose of all companies. Humanity doesn't have purpose other than what we make of it. We can strive to maximize enjoyment while keeping population flat if we wanted to.
Edit: The title was changed, it was something like: If a company's sole purpose is to grow, then it is no different from a cancer.
This explosion of growth we are seeing is relatively recent, and is due not only to advances in technology, but also to cultural changes which may perhaps have been more important to enable this relentless expansion.
What was the most recognized traditional means to become rich if not by pillaging and military conquest? The idea that you could (and should!) become rich by individual economic effort was not common at all. To the contrary, it was frequently taken to be immoral, like the Medieval condemnation of usury, or the ostracism of rich people in Ancient Greece.