What are the implications of these alternative hypotheses?
Each alternative hypothesis offers unique implications for cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. For instance, the metabolic theory suggests that dietary interventions or drugs targeting metabolic pathways might be effective against cancer. Similarly, the cancer stem cell hypothesis implies that treatments need to specifically target cancer stem cells to prevent recurrence. The microenvironment hypothesis highlights the potential of therapies that alter the tumor microenvironment to inhibit cancer growth.