TUMOR HETEROGENEITY AND BIOLOGY OF CANCER INVASION AND METASTASIS

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  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 38  (9) , 2651-2660
Abstract
The development of a metastasis is dependent on an interplay between host factors and intrinsic characteristics of malignant tumor cells. The process of metastasis is selective, and the metastatic lesion represents the end point of many destructive events that only a few cells can survive. Neoplasms, which are predominantly heterogeneous, contain a variety of subpopulations of cells with differing metastatic potential. Metastatic cell variants preexist in [mouse B16 melanoma and U2237 fibrosarcoma] of old and recent origin. The possible existence of highly metastatic variant cells within a primary tumor suggests that a neoplasm should not be considered a uniform entity. Efforts to design effective therapeutic agents and procedures against malignant tumors should be directed toward the few but fatal metastatic subpopulations of cells.