Although hypoxia is not a new phenomenon, we now have a much greater understanding of the molecular links between hypoxic conditions and tumour development. Apart from driving angiogenesis, hypoxia also affects cellular metabolism, an area of significant interest in cancer research. A greater understanding of these closely related tumorigenic changes should prove fruitful in the pursuit of more effective cancer therapies.

Throughout 2008, Nature Reviews Cancer published a series of specially commissioned articles that examined the roles of hypoxia and metabolism in different aspects of tumour biology. The Collection presented here includes selected Reviews and Perspectives from that series, together with some recent Research Highlights on this topic. These articles and the accompanying library of the most relevant recent publications from Nature Research describe our current understanding of this field. The Collection articles are freely available until 23 April 2010, thanks to support from BioSpherix and Enzon.