Cancer exodus hypothesis

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cancer-exodus-hypothesis

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the hypothesis core?Circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters maintain multicellularity throughout metastasis
2. What is the metastatic unit?CTC clusters are proposed as the primary units seeding distant metastases
3. Why do cancer cell groups travel together instead of alone?Traveling together lets the cells stay connected, which helps them survive the harsh conditions in the bloodstream.
4. How do these cancer cell groups get into the blood?They push through the walls of blood vessels as a team, which is easier than one cell going alone.

Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) Clusters: Multicellular aggregates of cancer cells found within the bloodstream during metastasis.
Anoikis: Programmed cell death triggered by the detachment of cells from their extracellular matrix.
Metastatic Cascade: The multi-step process by which cancer cells spread from a primary tumor to secondary sites.