Extracellular influences on tumour angiogenesis in the aged host

Whether tumours are epithelial or non-epithelial in origin, it is generally accepted that once they reach a certain size all solid tumours are dependent upon a vascular supply to provide nutrients. Accordingly, there is great interest in how the extracellular environment enhances or inhibits vascular growth. In this minireview, we will examine key extracellular components, their changes with ageing, and discuss how these alterations may influence the subsequent development of tumour vasculature in the aged host. Because of the tight correlation between advanced age and development of prostate cancer, we will use prostate cancer as the model throughout this review.