THE BIOCHEMISTRY OF CANCER DISSEMINATION

The progression of a tumor cell from one of benign delimited prolifera tion to invasive and metastatic growth is the major cause of poor clin ical outcome of cancer patients. Recent research has revealed that thi s complex process requires many components for successful disseminatio n and growth of the tumor cell at secondary sites. These include angio genesis, enhanced extracellular matrix degradation via tumor and host- secreted proteases, tumor cell migration, and modulation of tumor cell adhesion. Each individual component is multifaceted and is discussed within this review with respect to historical and recent findings. The identification of components and their interrelationship have yielded new therapeutic targets leading to the development of agents that may prove effective in the treatment of cancer and its metastatic progres sion.