Cancer discovery offers hope of tackling spread of disease
Scientists have discovered how cancerous cells can "elbow" their
way out of tumours, offering clues for new drugs to prevent
cancers spreading. They say they have identified a protein
called JAK which helps cancerous cells generate the force needed
to move. Writing in Cancer Cell, they say the cells contract
like muscle to force their way out and around the body. Cancer
Research UK said the study provided fresh understanding of ways
to stop cancer spreading. When cancers spread, a process known
as metastasis, they become more difficult to treat, as secondary
tumours tend to be more aggressive. It is thought that 90% of
cancer-related deaths occur after metastasis.JAK attack
Scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research, who investigated
the chemicals involved in cell migration in melanoma - skin
cancer - say cancerous cells can move in two ways. They can
"elbow" their way out of a tumour or the tumour itself can form
corridors down which the cells ca