The role of individual inheritance in tumor progression and metastasis

Metastasis, the dissemination and growth of tumor cells at secondary sites, is the primary cause of patient mortality from solid tumors. Metastasis is an extremely complex, inefficient process requiring contributions of not only the tumor cell but also local and distant environmental factors, at both the cellular and molecular level. Variation in the function of any of the steps in the metastatic cascade may therefore have profound implications for the ultimate course of the disease. In addition to the somatic and cellular heterogeneity that can affect cancer outcome, an individual's specific ancestry or genetic background can also significantly influence metastatic progression. These inherited variants not only encoded for metastatic susceptibility but also provided a window to study critical factors that are not easily accessible with current technologies. Furthermore, investigations into inherited metastatic susceptibility enable identification of important molecular and cellular processes that are not subject to mutation and are consequently not detectable by standard cancer genome sequencing strategies. Incorporation of inherited variation into metastasis research therefore provides methods to more comprehensively investigate the etiology of the lethal consequences of tumor progression.