ScienceVEGF

Angiogenesis in tumour growth

Providing tumours the blood supply needed to survive…and to thrive

Angiogenesis is a vital process in the progression of cancer from small, localised neoplasms to larger, growing and potentially metastatic tumours. To grow beyond 1–2mm in diameter, a tumour needs an independent blood supply, which is acquired by expressing growth factors that recruit new vasculature from existing blood vessels. This process continues even as the tumour matures. Thus, upregulation of angiogenesis is a key step in sustained tumour growth and may also be critical for tumour metastasis.^3–6

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Angiogenesis has been correlated with PD and/or poor prognosis in many tumour types — including lung, colon, breast, renal, and other cancers — and can be activated at different stages of tumour development, depending on the tumour type and microenvironmental conditions.^3–6