We are taking a very close look at metastatic cells.

"We have to learn enough about these cells to define and detect very early metastatic cells."

D. Anderson Cancer Center, and his colleagues have concentrated their research on how metastatic cells decide where to move.

The new understanding of metastatic cells will probably allow improved detection of the microscopic disease soon, experts say.

The propensity for a metastatic cell to spread to a particular organ is termed 'organotropism'.

For example, it was found to be downregulated in both metastatic and invasive cells as compared to normal breast epithelium.

A molecular characteristic of metastatic cells is their altered expression of several apoptotic genes.

Inhibition of angiogenesis is expected to have major effects if started early during tumor development before metastatic cells have spread throughout the body.

At the same time, researchers had developed chemotherapy and hormonal treatments that could attack these metastatic cells, making the new hypothesis appealing.

Monoclonal antibodies increase the sensitivity in detecting even small quantities of invasive or metastatic cells.