Desmoplasia and Cancer
Cancer begins as cells that grow uncontrollably, usually as a result of an internal change or oncogenic mutations within the cell. Cancer develops and progresses as the microenvironment undergoes dynamic changes. The stromal reaction in cancer is similar to the stromal reaction induced by injury or wound repair: increased ECM and growth factor production and secretion, which consequently cause growth of the tissue. In other words, the body reacts similarly to a wound as it does to cancer, causing scar-like tissue to be built around the cancer. As such, the stroma plays a very important role in the progression of cancer. The interaction between cancer cells and surrounding tumor stroma is thus bidirectional, and the mutual cellular support allows for the progression of the malignancy.
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