title: Metastasis as an evolutionary process.
abstract: Therapeutic advances in oncology have not fully translated to the treatment of metastatic disease, which remains largely incurable. Metastatic subclones can emerge both early and late in the life of the primary tumor. A better understanding of the genetic evolution of metastatic disease has the potential to reveal differences in the therapeutic vulnerabilities of primary and metastatic tumors, shed light on the temporal patterns of and routes to metastatic colonization, and provide insight into the biology of the metastatic process. Here we review recent comparative studies of primary and metastatic tumors, including data suggesting that macroevolutionary shifts (the onset of chromosomal instability) contribute to the evolution of metastatic disease. We also discuss the practical challenges associated with these studies and how they might be overcome.
authors.affiliation: The Francis Crick Institute, 44 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LY2, UK. Renal and Skin Units, The Royal Marsden Hospital, London SW3 6JJ, UK.
authors.forename: Samra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turajlic
authors.affiliation: The Francis Crick Institute, 44 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LY2, UK. University College London Hospitals and Cancer Institute, Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Huntley Street, London WC1, UK. charles.swanton@crick.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Swanton
mesh_terms: D002999:Clone Cells / Q000473:pathology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D010802:Phylogeny