Eye on Cancer

Most cancer deaths are caused by the disease spreading around the body. This process, known as metastasis, happens when cancer cells break away from a tumour and get into the bloodstream. To find out more about how this happens, researchers are using cutting-edge microscopy techniques to spy on cancers as they develop over time. This eye-like image shows a breast tumour under the skin of a mouse, with new blood vessels (orange) growing into it. The tumour is also surrounded by cells called fibroblasts (green), which produce a sticky molecule called endosialin on their surface. Although the exact function of endosialin isn’t known, it’s thought to help breakaway cancer cells enter the newly-formed blood vessels and start spreading throughout the body. Because endosialin is produced in the very earliest stages of tumour growth, finding new drugs that stop it from working could prevent cancer from spreading in the first place.

Written by Kat Arney

Kat Arney

Writer

Dr Kat Arney is an award-winning science writer, broadcaster and public speaker, and is the founder and Creative Director of First Create The Media.

Website

• Shortlisted image by Sarah Ash, ICR Molecular Cell Biology Team, Division of Breast Cancer Research
• The Institute of Cancer Research, Kensington, London, UK
• Image copyright held by the photographer
• ICR Science and Medical Imaging Competition, 2021