Dying Cells in a Tumor May Be a Cause of Metastasis

I have read that most cancer deaths occur due to metastasis. Cancer that remains limited to an original tumor can often be managed as a long-term chronic condition. If Cheung (below) is right that dying cells in a tumor are an important cause of metastasis, then does that suggest that senolytic drugs that kill senescent cells, may be useful in delaying or stopping metastasis?

(p. D7) Much about how tumors metastasize — spread and take up residence in faraway sites — still remains a mystery, said Dr. Kevin Cheung, an associate professor of hematology and oncology at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle, Washington. His research recently showed that dead and dying cells within a tumor might create an environment that makes it easier for living tumor cells to get out and spread.

For the full story see:

Nina Agrawal. “Exploring Some Big Questions About Cancer.” The New York Times (Tuesday, February 4, 2025): D7.

(Note: the online version of the story has the date Jan. 29, 2025, and has the title “7 Big Questions About Cancer, Answered.”)

The academic article co-authored by Cheung and mentioned above is:

Yamamoto, Ami, Yin Huang, Brad A. Krajina, Margaux McBirney, Andrea E. Doak, Sixuan Qu, Carolyn L. Wang, Michael C. Haffner, and Kevin J. Cheung. “Metastasis from the Tumor Interior and Necrotic Core Formation Are Regulated by Breast Cancer-Derived Angiopoietin-Like 7.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 120, no. 10 (2023): e2214888120.