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Related Concept Videos

The Tumor Microenvironment02:17

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
The Tumor Microenvironment02:17

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance02:40

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance02:40

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
Tumor Progression02:07

Tumor Progression

Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 29, 2026

An In Vitro System to Study Tumor Dormancy and the Switch to Metastatic Growth
09:14

An In Vitro System to Study Tumor Dormancy and the Switch to Metastatic Growth

Published on: August 11, 2011

Tumor-vascular interactions and tumor dormancy.

George N Naumov1, Judah Folkman, Oddbjorn Straume

  • 1Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School; and Vascular Biology Program, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA, USA. george.naumov@childrens.harvard.edu

APMIS : Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica, Et Immunologica Scandinavica
|October 7, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Microscopic tumors can remain dormant for extended periods due to failures in early progression steps like angiogenesis. This review explores clinical evidence and models of tumor dormancy, explaining delayed cancer manifestation.

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An In Vitro Dormancy Model of Estrogen-sensitive Breast Cancer in the Bone Marrow: A Tool for Molecular Mechanism Studies and Hypothesis Generation
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A Time-lapse, Label-free, Quantitative Phase Imaging Study of Dormant and Active Human Cancer Cells
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Last Updated: Jun 29, 2026

An In Vitro System to Study Tumor Dormancy and the Switch to Metastatic Growth
09:14

An In Vitro System to Study Tumor Dormancy and the Switch to Metastatic Growth

Published on: August 11, 2011

An In Vitro Dormancy Model of Estrogen-sensitive Breast Cancer in the Bone Marrow: A Tool for Molecular Mechanism Studies and Hypothesis Generation
08:48

An In Vitro Dormancy Model of Estrogen-sensitive Breast Cancer in the Bone Marrow: A Tool for Molecular Mechanism Studies and Hypothesis Generation

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A Time-lapse, Label-free, Quantitative Phase Imaging Study of Dormant and Active Human Cancer Cells
12:48

A Time-lapse, Label-free, Quantitative Phase Imaging Study of Dormant and Active Human Cancer Cells

Published on: February 16, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Biology
  • Tumor Microenvironment

Background:

  • Tumor progression involves sequential steps: tumor-vascular interactions (angiogenic switch) and microenvironment communication.
  • Failure in these early stages can lead to a state of stable non-progressing disease, known as tumor dormancy.
  • Microscopic human cancers can remain asymptomatic and undetectable for prolonged durations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review clinical and experimental evidence supporting the prolonged dormancy of microscopic human cancers.
  • To summarize current experimental models of human tumor dormancy.
  • To correlate experimental models with clinically observed delays in tumor progression.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of clinical observations and experimental studies on tumor dormancy.
  • Analysis of evidence for asymptomatic, non-detectable cancer states.
  • Evaluation of experimental models that mimic clinical tumor dormancy.

Main Results:

  • Clinical and experimental data suggest microscopic cancers can persist in a dormant state.
  • Various factors contribute to the maintenance of tumor dormancy.
  • Experimental models effectively recapitulate the delayed progression seen in human cancers.

Conclusions:

  • Tumor dormancy is a clinically relevant phenomenon where cancers remain in a stable, non-progressing state.
  • Understanding tumor dormancy mechanisms is crucial for managing cancer.
  • Experimental models provide valuable insights into the biology of delayed tumor progression.