Metatasis in cancer - a new treatment strategy?

Metastasis is the spread of a tumour to different parts of the body and is a major driver of mortality in patients with advanced cancer.



Increasingly, researchers are discovering biomarkers that may predict early metastasis. For example, the chemokine receptors CCR7 and CXCR4 have been shown to play an important role in cancer metastasis. By studying the differential expression of CCR7 and CXCR4, along with the biomarker HER2-neu, is possible to evaluate whether these biomarkers could predict axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer.

As more biomarkers are identified in different cancer types, improved knowledge of this complex process may provide a platform for the development of molecularly targeted therapeutics aimed at either the tumor cell or its interaction with the host microenvironment.