A new study of the activity of cancer cells within tumours has shown that those in the centre tend to grow and spread most aggressively.
The variety and action of cells in solid tumours was investigated by Dr Kevin Litchfield of University College London, UK, and colleagues.
They examined 102 images from patients with kidney cancer, alongside genetic information from 756 biopsies.
This showed genetically distinct subgroups of cells that grow and evolve differently, they report in Nature Ecology & Evolution on Monday (17 May).
"We observed a phenotype of advanced and more aggressive subclonal growth in the tumour centre," they write. "Moreover, we found that metastasising subclones preferentially originate from the tumour centre."
"Collectively, these observations suggest a model of accelerated evolution in the tumour interior," they state.
"In conclusion, spatial dynamics is strongly associated with genomic alterations and plays an important role in tumour evolution."
Dr Litchfield says: "Cancer cells in the central zone of the tumour face harsh environmental conditions, as there’s a lack of blood supply and oxygen. They have to adapt to survive, which makes them stronger and more aggressive.
"This also means they are more likely to successfully evolve into cells that can disseminate and take hold in distant organs."
Co-author Dr Samra Turajlic commented: "We identified with precision the place in the tumour where genetic chaos emerges to give rise to metastases. Our observations shed light on the sort of environmental conditions that would foster emergence of aggressive behaviour.
"These findings are a critical foundation for considering how we target or even prevent distinct populations of cells that pose the biggest threat."
Zhao, Y. et al. Selection of metastasis competent subclones in the tumour interior. Nature Ecology & Evolution 17 May 2021; doi: 10.1038/s41559-021-01456-6
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