Three drugs eliminate microscopic brain metastases before detectable tumors form in mice

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Researchers at Spain's National Cancer Research Centre found that metastatic cancer cells pass through an early, temporary stage when they are especially vulnerable. In mouse studies, a three-drug combination eliminated microscopic brain metastases before detectable tumors developed.

Metastasis, the process by which a tumor spreads throughout the body, is associated with the majority of cancer deaths. The Brain Metastasis Group at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) has investigated the earliest stages in which metastatic cells establish themselves in distant organs and discovered a transient phase during which these metastatic seeds are particularly vulnerable.