How Do Cancer Cells Gain the Ability to Metastasize?
Metastasis is a multi-step process that involves the detachment of cancer cells from the primary tumor, invasion into surrounding tissues, entry into the bloodstream, and colonization of distant organs. Cancer cells undergo changes in cell adhesion molecules, such as E-cadherin, to facilitate detachment and migration. They also produce enzymes that degrade the extracellular matrix to enable invasion and dissemination.
