Does a lack of oxygen promote tumor metastasis in mice?

A research group from the University of Basel (Switzerland) has demonstrated that a lack of oxygen promotes tumor metastasis. These findings could help to discover new treatment strategies for cancer. Metastases are formed when circulating tumor cells (CTCs) leave the tumor and migrate to a new tissue through the bloodstream. The latest study investigated a mouse model for breast cancer, in which researchers analyzed the oxygen supply inside these tumors, the detachment of CTCs and their molecular and cell biological properties. The findings revealed that different areas of a tumor are supplied with different levels of oxygen. Cancer cells with...