CANCER METASTASIS - BIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL ASPECTS

The main cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer is the formation o f distant metastases. While alterations in c-oncogenes, tumour suppres sor genes and DNA repair enzymes are the key molecules involved in car cinogenesis, increased expression of proteases, motility factors and a ltered expression of adhesion molecules are causally involved in metas tasis. The proteases mediating metastasis include urokinase plasminoge n activator, cathepsin B, D and L and various matrix metalloproteinase s. Certain proteases involved in metastasis (e.g., urokinase plasminog en activator) have been shown to be strong and independent prognostic markers for a variety of cancers, Finally, molecules involved in cance r spread are potential targets for new forms of anti-metastatic therap ies.