TY - JOUR
T1 - Controversies in clinical cancer dormancy
AU - Uhr, Jonathan W.
AU - Pantel, Klaus
PY - 2011/7/26
Y1 - 2011/7/26
N2 - Clinical cancer dormancy is defined as an unusually long time between removal of the primary tumor and subsequent relapse in a patient who has been clinically disease-free. The condition is frequently observed in certain carcinomas (e.g., breast cancer), B-cell lymphoma, and melanoma, with relapse occurring 5-25 y later. Clinical data suggest that a majority of breast cancer survivors have cancer cells for decades but can remain clinically cancer-free for their lifetime. Thus, there is a major effort to characterize the molecular mechanisms responsible for inducing tumor cell dormancy using experimental models or studying the early phases of cancer growth in humans. Many molecules and signaling pathways have been characterized and have led to concepts that dominate the field, such as the possible role of innate and adaptive immunity in immune surveillance and initiation and maintenance of dormancy. However, recent clinical data do not support many of these concepts. Several areas need further study to determine their relevance to clinical cancer dormancy. We suggest hypotheses that may contribute to elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the dormant state.
AB - Clinical cancer dormancy is defined as an unusually long time between removal of the primary tumor and subsequent relapse in a patient who has been clinically disease-free. The condition is frequently observed in certain carcinomas (e.g., breast cancer), B-cell lymphoma, and melanoma, with relapse occurring 5-25 y later. Clinical data suggest that a majority of breast cancer survivors have cancer cells for decades but can remain clinically cancer-free for their lifetime. Thus, there is a major effort to characterize the molecular mechanisms responsible for inducing tumor cell dormancy using experimental models or studying the early phases of cancer growth in humans. Many molecules and signaling pathways have been characterized and have led to concepts that dominate the field, such as the possible role of innate and adaptive immunity in immune surveillance and initiation and maintenance of dormancy. However, recent clinical data do not support many of these concepts. Several areas need further study to determine their relevance to clinical cancer dormancy. We suggest hypotheses that may contribute to elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the dormant state.
KW - Chronic cancer
KW - Circulating tumor cell
KW - Organ size control
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U2 - 10.1073/pnas.1106613108
DO - 10.1073/pnas.1106613108
M3 - Article
C2 - 21746894
AN - SCOPUS:79961087495
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 108
SP - 12396
EP - 12400
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 30
ER -