Radiation-Induced Tumor Cell Invasion and Metastasis

Ionising radiation remains a mainstay in cancer management, targeting malignancies via DNA damage and free radical generation. Paradoxically, accumulating preclinical evidence indicates that radiation can enhance tumour cell invasiveness and distant dissemination. This phenomenon arises through direct effects on neoplastic cells, including activation of pro-migratory pathways, epithelial–mesenchymal transition and acquisition of stem-like traits, and indirect modulation of the tumour microenvironment by altering cytokine profiles, vascular endothelial properties and extracellular matrix dynamics. Radiation-induced hypoxia and oxidative stress may stabilise factors such as HIF-1α, elevating chemokine receptor expression to augment cell motility. Additionally, gaps in vascular integrity can facilitate intravasation and extravasation steps of the metastatic cascade. Understanding these dualistic responses is vital to refining radiotherapy protocols, minimising unintended pro-metastatic sequelae and informing combination strategies with targeted agents that may abrogate invasion-promoting signals without compromising overall tumour control.

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Radiation-Induced Tumor Cell Invasion and Metastasis publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in radiation-induced tumor cell invasion and metastasis across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT): A cellular programme in which epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal features that enhance motility and invasiveness.

Glycosylation: The enzymatic addition of carbohydrate moieties to proteins or lipids, influencing cell adhesion and signalling.

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels: A family of ion channels permeable to cations, mediating responses to physical and chemical stimuli.

References

1. Effects of radiation on the metastatic process. Molecular Medicine (2018).
2. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediates radiation-induced invasiveness through the SDF-1α/CXCR4 pathway in non-small cell lung carcinoma cells. Oncotarget (2015).
3. Therapeutic Fractional Doses of Ionizing Radiation Promote Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, Enhanced Invasiveness, and Altered Glycosylation in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells. Genome Integrity (2023).
4. Does Direct and Indirect Exposure to Ionising Radiation Influence the Metastatic Potential of Breast Cancer Cells. Cancers (2020).
5. Involvement of TRPV1 and TRPV4 Channels in Enhancement of Metastatic Ability Induced by γ-Irradiation in Human Lung Cancer A549 Cells. BPB Reports (2020).