Biochemistry of bladder cancer invasion and metastasis. Clinical implications

In bladder cancer, the finding of infiltration signals the capability of a tumor to behave in an aggressive manner and potentially create a life-threatening situation. The ability to invade is carried in the tumor cell's complement of biochemical pathways as well as in its inability to preserve or restore rather than to disrupt normal tissue architecture. What determines the activation and deployment of these biochemical activities is unclear. That they occur, however, and can distinguish aggressive cancers likely to metastasize from cancers whose behavior is benign, is not. Recognizing and identifying these distinctions is an important step in designing new therapies to prevent a tumor's potential aggressive behavior, possibly reverse or at least contain any extensions that have occurred, and ultimately convert a potentially life-threatening situation to one with a more benign prognosis.