Summary of Key Points A solid tumor is an organ composed of neoplastic cells and stromal cells including immune cells nourished by vasculature made of endothelial cells—all embedded in an extracellular matrix. The interactions among these cells, their surrounding matrix,…
Summary of Key Points Many tumors originate in organs and tissues that undergo a continuous process of cell turnover, which is sustained by a minority population of stem cells (e.g., the colon, breast, lung, prostate, brain, and bone marrow). Stem…
Summary of Key Points Cancer is characterized by genetic and epigenetic instability leading to both unique and sometimes common mutations and “ectopic” overexpression of genes not normally expressed in the tissue of origin. Cancer-specific proteins arising as a result of…
Summary of Key Points Regulated cell death mainly occurs via extrinsic apoptosis, intrinsic apoptosis, necroptosis, and mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT)–driven regulated necrosis. Autophagy operates as a bona fide cell death mechanism in a few, mostly developmental, settings. Oncogenesis results from…
Summary of Key Points Most cells in postnatal tissues are quiescent. Exceptions include abundant cells of the hematopoietic system, skin, and gastrointestinal mucosa, as well as other minor progenitor populations in other tissues. Many quiescent cells can reenter into the…
Summary of Key Points Metastases are responsible for more than 90% of all cancer-related deaths. Gene dysregulation, the tumor microenvironment, and host cells drive the metastatic spread of tumor cells. Metastasis can be subdivided into invasion and migration from the…
Summary of Key Points Ligand binding and activation of cell surface and internal receptors trigger the activation and/or suppression of signaling cascades that regulate diverse cellular processes including cell growth, proliferation, survival, and invasion, among others. Multiple nodes within these…
Summary of Key Points Our understanding and treatment of cancer have always relied heavily on parallel developments in biologic research. Molecular biology provides the basic tools to study genes involved with cancer growth patterns and tumor suppression. An advanced understanding…