Abstract
Cancer progression is an evolutionary process. During this process, evolving cancer cell populations encounter restrictive ecological niches within the body, such as the primary tumor, circulatory system, and diverse metastatic sites. Efforts to prevent or delay cancer evolution—and progression—require a deep understanding of the underlying molecular evolutionary processes. Herein we discuss a suite of concepts and tools from evolutionary and ecological theory that can inform cancer biology in new and meaningful ways. We also highlight current challenges to applying these concepts, and propose ways in which incorporating these concepts could identify new therapeutic modes and vulnerabilities in cancer.
Highlights
The vast majority of cancer-related deaths occur in the context of metastatic spread of therapy-resistant cell lineages; and the progression from normal tissue to a localized, treatment-responsive, metastatic, and therapy-resistant disease is fundamentally an evolutionary process (Nowell 1976)
During this process a diverse population of cancer cells is subject to selective forces encountered within the tissue ecology of the body
An instructive parallel can be drawn between the convergent evolution in cancer phenotypes towards cancer hallmarks and the phenotypic convergence observed in cave-adapted fish (Gatenby et al 2011)
Summary
The vast majority of cancer-related deaths occur in the context of metastatic spread of therapy-resistant cell lineages; and the progression from normal tissue to a localized, treatment-responsive, metastatic, and therapy-resistant disease is fundamentally an evolutionary process (Nowell 1976). Sequencing has revealed common driver mutations in the same oncogene or tumor suppressor across different cancers. By leveraging the unique features of cancer across multiple species, we have an unprecedented opportunity to advance future comparative and translational research efforts, thereby improving both our understanding of cancer biology and clinical outcomes for all patients.
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