Cancer cell adhesion

Cancer cell adhesion is a broad term describing how tumor cells interact with each other and the surrounding stroma via cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). CAMs are a diverse group, including cadherins, integrins, selectins, and members of the immunoglobulin superfamily, that enable tumor cell invasion, metastasis, and communication with the microenvironment. Disruption or modulation of adhesion can enable cancer spread (metastasis), while altered expression or function is often observed in malignancy. As a process, cancer cell adhesion is a therapeutic interest area, but not a specific molecular target—it encompasses multiple pathways and receptor families rather than a distinct targetable entity[1][3][2][4][5].

Other names

Cell adhesion in cancerTumor cell adhesionCancer cell-cell adhesionCTC adhesion