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Published online 28 August 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.1068
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When good cells turn bad
Non-cancerous mammary cells in mice can take up residence in the lungs and later form tumours.
Non-cancerous breast cells can migrate through the bloodstream and settle in the lungs, experiments in mice have shown. Once there, and if cancer-promoting genes become active, the cells can form tumours in their new location.
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I find this research fascinating, interesting, and useful since it highlights the understanding of oncogenesis and metastasis occurrence. Since 30' years I suggest the existence of Oncological Terrain as well as Oncological Terrain-Dependent Inherited Real Risk.Bibliography on Oncological Terrain . (from www.semeioticabiofisica.it) 101. Stagnaro S. Genes and Cancer: a clinical view-point. The Oncological Terrain. BioMed Central Informatics. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2105/5/21/comments#10454 2004 105. Stagnaro S., Stagnaro-Neri M., Oncological Terrain, conditio sine qua non of Oncogenesis: http://www.gutjnl.com/cgi/eletters?lookup=by_date&days=60 2004 113. Stagnaro Sergio. "Genes, Oncological Terrain, and Breast Cancer", World Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2005, http://www.wjso.com/content/3/1/45/comments#205475 2005 131. Stagnaro Sergio. Cancer Risk Factors and Oncological Terrain. 2006. http://www.wjso.com/content/4/1/74/comments#247528 142. Stagnaro Sergio. Without Oncological Terrain oncogenesis is not possible. CMAJ. 23 March 2007 http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/eletters/176/5/646 152. Stagnaro Sergio. GPs , Biophysical Semeiotics, and bedside cancer diagnosis. 08 July 2007, International Seminar of Surgical Oncology, http://www.issoonline.com/content/4/1/11/comments#281539 161. Stagnaro Sergio. Oncological Terrain and Inherited Oncological Real Risk: New Way in Malignancy Primary Prevention and early Diagnosis. International Seminars in Surgical Oncology, 2007. http://www.issoonline.com/content/4/1/25/comments#290565 162. Stagnaro Sergio. Bedside Biophysical-Semeiotic Diagnosis of Breast Cancer, since initial Stage. International Seminars in Surgical Oncology 2007, http://www.issoonline.com/content/4/1/21/comments 166. Stagnaro Sergio. What about Oncological Terrain. www.thescientist.com 2007. http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/53938/ 167. Stagnaro Sergio. Oncogenesis is possible exclusively in individuals Oncological Terrain-positive. www.thescientist.com 2007. http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/print/53498/ 171. Stagnaro Sergio. Overloking Oncological Terrain and oncological Real Risk, no paper is up-dated! 18 January 2008 Ann. Intern Med. http://www.annals.org/cgi/eletters/147/11/775 172. Stagnaro Sergio. Bedside Biophysical-Semeiotic Osteocalcin Test in Diagnosing and Monitoring Diabetes. January 28, 2008, http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673608601014/comments?action=view&totalComments=2 180. Stagnaro Sergio. Biological System Functional Modification parallels Gene Mutation. www.Nature.com,March 13, 2008, http://blogs.nature.com/nm/spoonful/2008/03/gout_gene.html 189. Stagnaro Sergio. Oncogenesis, Oncological Terrain, and Inherited Oncological Real Risk. www.nature.com, 21 April 2008, http://blogs.nature.com/nm/spoonful/2008/04/stress_as_a_therapy_1.html 199. Stagnaro Sergio. The Death of Clinical Medicine parallels Medicine End. CMAJ 2008; 178: 1523-1524, 10 June 2008. http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/eletters/178/12/1523 180. Stagnaro Sergio. Biological System Functional Modification parallels Gene Mutation. 204. Stagnaro Sergio. Bedside Diagnosing Pheochromocytoma, since its initial stage of Inherited Real Risk. Cases Journal 2008, http://www.casesjournal.com/content/1/1/30/comments#304598 205. Stagnaro Sergio. Theoretical Biology and Medical Modelling, 2008. Bedside Diagnosing Oncological Terrain and Inherited Oncological Real Risk in quantitative way. http://www.tbiomed.com/content/5/1/7/comments#304600 And also: Quantum Biophysical Semeiotics and Cancer Real Risk in www.nature.com: http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2008/07/newsweak_darwin_vs_lincoln.html#comments http://blogs.nature.com/nm/spoonful/2008/07/product_placement.html#comments http://network.nature.com/forums/askthenatureeditor/1846?page=1#reply-5181 ; http://blogs.nature.com/nm/spoonful/2008/05/our_new_columns_narrowing_the.html#comments , and specially http://blogs.nature.com/nm/spoonful/2008/04/stress_as_a_therapy_1.html#comments http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2008/07/new_drug_for_prostate_cancer_e.html#comments http://blogs.nature.com/nature/journalclub/2008/02/nicholas_katsanis.html#comments http://blogs.nature.com/nm/spoonful/2008/08/the_best_defense_against_biowa.html#comments http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2008/08/bush_going_green_in_the_deep_b.html#comments In a few words, the breast cells, apparently normal, are thruly possible cancerous cells, which are transported in a lung area, wherein since birth is located an inherited oncological real risk, I illustrated in above-cited references. In conclusion, if physicians all around the world could know these advances of CLINICAL oncology, a new, unexpensive, reliable way of cancer primary prevention will become possible to be realized on very large scale, in the interest of mankind.
The microenvironment is undoubtely crucial for tumor occurrence. However, I would not be surprised if stemness of traveling cells, and a couple of other factors could have played a role. If you want confront my theory of carcinogenesis in the book "the selfish cell"