The third hallmark of cancer cells is tissue invasion and metastasis (spreading) which is a major source of mortality in cancer patients. Cancer spreads when gene mutations allow transformed cells to break free from the primary tumor and travel through the bloodstream to establish a new colony of cells at another location.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) defines metastasis as “the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. A tumor formed by cells that have spread is called a “metastatic tumor” or a “metastasis.” The metastatic tumor contains cells that are like those in the original (primary) tumor. The plural form of metastasis is metastases (meh-TAS-tuh-SEEZ).” The NCI site also include a really informative fact sheet about metastatic cancers which answers some commonly-asked questions.
LI-COR® offers products that can be used to research invasion and metastasis in cancer laboratory models. One such study involved the use of IRDye® 800CW RGD (a BrightSite™ small animal imaging agent) and the use of the Pearl® Impulse Small Animal Imaging System.
Figure 1. Nude mouse bearing subcutaneous tumors, U87 (left hip) and A431(right hip), were imaged 24 hours post intravenous injection of IRDye 800CW RGD (1 nmole).
For more information on the hallmarks of cancer, journal references, cancer organizations, and the products that LI-COR offers to support cancer researchers, visit our website.