Historical perspectives on the biology of brain metastasis

Excerpt

Curing cancer has been a national emphasis since Richard Nixon declared “war on cancer” upon signing the National Cancer Act into law in 1971. Despite tremendous advances in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, cancer remains the second most frequent cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of death worldwide [1]. The most lethal event in the progression of this disease is the metastatic invasion of cancer cells throughout the body, leading to 90% of cancer deaths [2]. Since cancers are often metastatic at the time of diagnosis, prevention and early detection are an incomplete solution. Even though patients within the United States and other developed countries are surviving longer with improved therapies for systemic cancer spread, metastases to the brain remains a singular challenge [2, 3]. …