Mlecnik et al. analysed the genetics, levels of genomic instability, vascularization and the immunoscore (a measure of the 'immune contexture' of the tumour microenvironment) in a cohort of colorectal cancers. They found that FBXW7 mutations were inversely correlated with metastasis; genomic instability did not correlate with metastasis. However, decreased lymphatic vascularity and reduced immune cytotoxicity were strongly associated with metastasis, suggesting that the tumour microenvironment has a dominant role in metastasis.
References
Mlecnik, B. et al. The tumor microenvironment and immunoscore are critical determinants of dissemination to distant metastasis. Sci. Transl Med. 8, 327ra26 (2016)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Alderton, G. The tumour microenvironment drives metastasis. Nat Rev Cancer 16, 199 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc.2016.31
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc.2016.31