Abstract
Cancer led to the deaths of more than 9 million people worldwide in 2018, and most of these deaths were due to metastatic tumor burden. While in most cases, we still do not know why cancer is lethal, we know that a total tumor burden of 1 kg—equivalent to one trillion cells—is not compatible with life. While localized disease is curable through surgical removal or radiation, once cancer has spread, it is largely incurable. The inability to cure metastatic cancer lies, at least in part, to the fact that cancer is resistant to all known compounds and anticancer drugs. The source of this resistance remains undefined. In fact, the vast majority of metastatic cancers are resistant to all currently available anticancer therapies, including chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, and systemic radiation. Thus, despite decades—even centuries—of research, metastatic cancer remains lethal and incurable. We present historical and contemporary evidence that the key actuators of this process—of tumorigenesis, metastasis, and therapy resistance—are polyploid giant cancer cells.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1489-1497 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Prostate |
| Volume | 79 |
| Issue number | 13 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2019 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Oncology
- Urology
Cite this
}
Polyploid giant cancer cells : Unrecognized actuators of tumorigenesis, metastasis, and resistance. / Amend, Sarah R.; Torga, Gonzalo; Lin, Ke Chih; Kostecka, Laurie G.; de Marzo, Angelo; Austin, Robert Hamilton; Pienta, Kenneth J.
In: Prostate, Vol. 79, No. 13, 01.01.2019, p. 1489-1497.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Polyploid giant cancer cells
T2 - Unrecognized actuators of tumorigenesis, metastasis, and resistance
AU - Amend, Sarah R.
AU - Torga, Gonzalo
AU - Lin, Ke Chih
AU - Kostecka, Laurie G.
AU - de Marzo, Angelo
AU - Austin, Robert Hamilton
AU - Pienta, Kenneth J.
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - Cancer led to the deaths of more than 9 million people worldwide in 2018, and most of these deaths were due to metastatic tumor burden. While in most cases, we still do not know why cancer is lethal, we know that a total tumor burden of 1 kg—equivalent to one trillion cells—is not compatible with life. While localized disease is curable through surgical removal or radiation, once cancer has spread, it is largely incurable. The inability to cure metastatic cancer lies, at least in part, to the fact that cancer is resistant to all known compounds and anticancer drugs. The source of this resistance remains undefined. In fact, the vast majority of metastatic cancers are resistant to all currently available anticancer therapies, including chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, and systemic radiation. Thus, despite decades—even centuries—of research, metastatic cancer remains lethal and incurable. We present historical and contemporary evidence that the key actuators of this process—of tumorigenesis, metastasis, and therapy resistance—are polyploid giant cancer cells.
AB - Cancer led to the deaths of more than 9 million people worldwide in 2018, and most of these deaths were due to metastatic tumor burden. While in most cases, we still do not know why cancer is lethal, we know that a total tumor burden of 1 kg—equivalent to one trillion cells—is not compatible with life. While localized disease is curable through surgical removal or radiation, once cancer has spread, it is largely incurable. The inability to cure metastatic cancer lies, at least in part, to the fact that cancer is resistant to all known compounds and anticancer drugs. The source of this resistance remains undefined. In fact, the vast majority of metastatic cancers are resistant to all currently available anticancer therapies, including chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, and systemic radiation. Thus, despite decades—even centuries—of research, metastatic cancer remains lethal and incurable. We present historical and contemporary evidence that the key actuators of this process—of tumorigenesis, metastasis, and therapy resistance—are polyploid giant cancer cells.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85070077596&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85070077596&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/pros.23877
DO - 10.1002/pros.23877
M3 - Review article
VL - 79
SP - 1489
EP - 1497
JO - Prostate
JF - Prostate
SN - 0270-4137
IS - 13
ER -