Tumor Dormancy: Implications for Invasion and Metastasis
Tumor dormancy refers to a critical stage of cancer development when tumor cells are present, but cancer does not progress. It includes both the concept of cellular dormancy, indicating the reversible switch of a cancer cell to a quiescent state, and that of tumor mass dormancy, indicating the prese...
Main Authors: | , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-05-01
|
Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/9/4862 |
id |
doaj-29a435a36cbc46d9bead6891e9ba8f54 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-29a435a36cbc46d9bead6891e9ba8f542021-05-31T23:10:48ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672021-05-01224862486210.3390/ijms22094862Tumor Dormancy: Implications for Invasion and MetastasisGeorgia Gomatou0Nikolaos Syrigos1Ioannis A. Vathiotis2Elias A. Kotteas3Oncology Unit, Third Department of Medicine, Sotiria General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, GreeceOncology Unit, Third Department of Medicine, Sotiria General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, GreeceOncology Unit, Third Department of Medicine, Sotiria General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, GreeceOncology Unit, Third Department of Medicine, Sotiria General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, GreeceTumor dormancy refers to a critical stage of cancer development when tumor cells are present, but cancer does not progress. It includes both the concept of cellular dormancy, indicating the reversible switch of a cancer cell to a quiescent state, and that of tumor mass dormancy, indicating the presence of neoplastic masses that have reached cell population equilibrium via balanced growth/apoptosis rates. Tumor dormancy provides the conceptual framework, potentially explaining a major challenge in clinical oncology, tumor recurrence, which may occur years after cancer diagnosis. The mechanisms by which tumors are kept dormant, and what triggers their reawakening, are fundamental questions in cancer biology. It seems that a plethora of intracellular pathways and extracellular factors are involved in this process, rewiring the cells to plastically alter their metabolic and proliferative status. This phenomenon is highly dynamic in space and time. Mechanistic insights into both cellular and tumor dormancy have provided the rationale for targeting this otherwise stable period of cancer development, in order to prevent recurrence and maximize therapeutic benefit.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/9/4862tumor dormancycellular dormancytumor recurrencemetastasis |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Georgia Gomatou Nikolaos Syrigos Ioannis A. Vathiotis Elias A. Kotteas |
spellingShingle |
Georgia Gomatou Nikolaos Syrigos Ioannis A. Vathiotis Elias A. Kotteas Tumor Dormancy: Implications for Invasion and Metastasis International Journal of Molecular Sciences tumor dormancy cellular dormancy tumor recurrence metastasis |
author_facet |
Georgia Gomatou Nikolaos Syrigos Ioannis A. Vathiotis Elias A. Kotteas |
author_sort |
Georgia Gomatou |
title |
Tumor Dormancy: Implications for Invasion and Metastasis |
title_short |
Tumor Dormancy: Implications for Invasion and Metastasis |
title_full |
Tumor Dormancy: Implications for Invasion and Metastasis |
title_fullStr |
Tumor Dormancy: Implications for Invasion and Metastasis |
title_full_unstemmed |
Tumor Dormancy: Implications for Invasion and Metastasis |
title_sort |
tumor dormancy: implications for invasion and metastasis |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
issn |
1661-6596 1422-0067 |
publishDate |
2021-05-01 |
description |
Tumor dormancy refers to a critical stage of cancer development when tumor cells are present, but cancer does not progress. It includes both the concept of cellular dormancy, indicating the reversible switch of a cancer cell to a quiescent state, and that of tumor mass dormancy, indicating the presence of neoplastic masses that have reached cell population equilibrium via balanced growth/apoptosis rates. Tumor dormancy provides the conceptual framework, potentially explaining a major challenge in clinical oncology, tumor recurrence, which may occur years after cancer diagnosis. The mechanisms by which tumors are kept dormant, and what triggers their reawakening, are fundamental questions in cancer biology. It seems that a plethora of intracellular pathways and extracellular factors are involved in this process, rewiring the cells to plastically alter their metabolic and proliferative status. This phenomenon is highly dynamic in space and time. Mechanistic insights into both cellular and tumor dormancy have provided the rationale for targeting this otherwise stable period of cancer development, in order to prevent recurrence and maximize therapeutic benefit. |
topic |
tumor dormancy cellular dormancy tumor recurrence metastasis |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/9/4862 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT georgiagomatou tumordormancyimplicationsforinvasionandmetastasis AT nikolaossyrigos tumordormancyimplicationsforinvasionandmetastasis AT ioannisavathiotis tumordormancyimplicationsforinvasionandmetastasis AT eliasakotteas tumordormancyimplicationsforinvasionandmetastasis |
_version_ |
1721418150683082752 |