Abstract

The metastatic process is highly inefficient — very few of the many cells that migrate from the primary tumour successfully colonize distant sites. One proposed mechanism to explain this inefficiency is provided by the cancer stem cell model, which hypothesizes that micrometastases can only be established by tumour stem cells, which are few in number. However, recent in vitro and in vivo observations indicate that apoptosis is an important process regulating metastasis. Here we stress that the inhibition of cell death, apart from its extensively described function in primary tumour development, is a crucial characteristic of metastatic cancer cells.

Author affiliations

1. Apoptosis, Cancer and Development Laboratory-Equipe labellisée 'La Ligue', CNRS FRE2870, Centre Léon Bérard, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69008 Lyon, France.
2. INSERM U590, Centre Léon Bérard, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69008 Lyon, France.

Correspondence to: Patrick Mehlen¹ Email: mehlen@lyon.fnclcc.fr

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