New Insights Into Cancer Cell Signaling Could Help Prevent Metastases

“Research published yesterday in Nature Communications has revealed a previously unknown mechanism by which metastasizing cancer cells survive when they break away from the primary tumor. It is hoped that the discovery could help with the development of novel cancer treatments that prevent metastasis.”

“Cancer cells often breakaway from the primary tumor in order to spread to new sites around the body. These breakaway cancer cells will settle at different locations and develop into new tumors. This spreading process is known as metastasis and is the reason that treating cancer is so challenging. It is frequently these secondary cancer growths, rather than the primary tumor, that are fatal. Until now, it was not known how the breakaway cancer cells survived once they left the relative security of the tumor. Individual cells are generally quite vulnerable and would be expected to die once detached from the protection of a tissue mass.”

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