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Reference.org
Cancer exodus hypothesis
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<p> The cancer exodus hypothesis establishes that <a href="/facts/Circulating_tumor_cell/gG6YIAaB">circulating tumor cell clusters</a> (CTC clusters) maintain their multicellular structure throughout the <a href="/facts/Metastasis/4dadbm6z">metastatic</a> process. It was previously thought that these clusters must dissociate into single cells during metastasis. According to the hypothesis, CTC clusters <a href="/facts/Intravasation/QPd65E3S">intravasate</a> (enter the bloodstream), travel through circulation as a cohesive unit, and <a href="/facts/Extravasation/ht89d2LM">extravasate</a> (exit the bloodstream) at distant sites without disaggregating, significantly enhancing their metastatic potential. This concept is considered a key advancement in understanding of cancer biology and CTCs role in cancer metastasis. </p>