Metastasis

The prognosis for a cancer patient deteriorates once the tumour starts to spread from its site of origin to other areas of the body. The new tumours, denoted metastases, are notoriously harder to handle as surgery is no longer an option. As there are often myriads, radiation therapy also becomes exceedingly complex.

As the process of metastasizing intensifies and they grow, more and more organs will eventually collapse. It is important that we delineate and understand the processes and molecular mechanisms initiating and supporting metastasizing if we are to prevent or treatment of these deadly offspring.