Angiogenic switch: Roles of estrogenic compounds

Cancer spreads from its primary sites through a metastatic process by which cancer cells penetrate into lymphatic and blood vessels, circulating through the bloodstream, ultimately invading and growing in distant sites of the body. It is a complex and multi-step life-threatening event. Multiple studies have been conducted in the last several years and various laboratories are still actively engaged in uncovering the molecular mechanisms that make this deadly event possible. Despite massive effort, scientists are still unable to discover weapons that have the potency to wipe out the metastatic process. Yet, studies point out that new blood vessel formation from existing blood vessels, known as angiogenesis, is crucial for cancer development and metastasis. Therefore, demolition of angiogenesis may help in blocking the progression of cancer metastasis.