Evolutionary game theory in cancer: first steps in prediction of metastatic cancer progression?

Metastasis is one of the most terrifying words for cancer patients because it accounts for 90% of cancer deaths. Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells to different organs from a primary tumor. When this happens, often the cancer is now inoperable, and the cancer cells are usually resistant to the original chemotherapy used to keep the tumor in check. Because many patients can live with localized tumors, while 90% cannot once the tumor has metastasized, clearly knowledge of the metastatic potential of a tumor and the movement of the cancer toward metastasis would be of immense help in treating cancer patients in a rational and informed manner. However, despite desperate attempts to predict the onset of metastatic cancer progression [1], it remains very difficult to do so, resulting in much needless therapy on patients who would not present metastatic cancer, and insufficient therapy on those who will, assuming that there is a predictive course to metastasis.

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