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Review

Nature Medicine 12, 895–904 (1 August 2006) | doi:10.1038/nm1469

Tumor metastasis: mechanistic insights and clinical challenges

Patricia S Steeg

Although surgery and radiation therapy effectively control many cancers at the primary site, the development of metastatic disease signals a poor prognosis. Most metastatic lesions are not treated by surgery, as the presence of one lesion often signals wider systemic disease.