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Review
. 2018 Feb;75(3):509-525.
doi: 10.1007/s00018-017-2663-1. Epub 2017 Sep 27.

The peritoneal "soil" for a cancerous "seed": a comprehensive review of the pathogenesis of intraperitoneal cancer metastases

Justyna Mikuła-Pietrasik  1 , Paweł Uruski  1 , Andrzej Tykarski  1 , Krzysztof Książek  2
Affiliations
Review

The peritoneal "soil" for a cancerous "seed": a comprehensive review of the pathogenesis of intraperitoneal cancer metastases

Justyna Mikuła-Pietrasik et al. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2018 Feb.

Abstract

Various types of tumors, particularly those originating from the ovary and gastrointestinal tract, display a strong predilection for the peritoneal cavity as the site of metastasis. The intraperitoneal spread of a malignancy is orchestrated by a reciprocal interplay between invading cancer cells and resident normal peritoneal cells. In this review, we address the current state-of-art regarding colonization of the peritoneal cavity by ovarian, colorectal, pancreatic, and gastric tumors. Particular attention is paid to the pro-tumoral role of various kinds of peritoneal cells, including mesothelial cells, fibroblasts, adipocytes, macrophages, the vascular endothelium, and hospicells. Anatomo-histological considerations on the pro-metastatic environment of the peritoneal cavity are presented in the broader context of organ-specific development of distal metastases in accordance with Paget's "seed and soil" theory of tumorigenesis. The activity of normal peritoneal cells during pivotal elements of cancer progression, i.e., adhesion, migration, invasion, proliferation, EMT, and angiogenesis, is discussed from the perspective of well-defined general knowledge on a hospitable tumor microenvironment created by the cellular elements of reactive stroma, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts and macrophages. Finally, the paper addresses the unique features of the peritoneal cavity that predispose this body compartment to be a niche for cancer metastases, presents issues that are topics of an ongoing debate, and points to areas that still require further in-depth investigations.

Keywords: Cancer metastases; Peritoneal cavity; Reactive stroma; Seed and soil theory.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Cellular and acellular components creating metastatic niche within the peritoneal cavity. Complex molecular and biochemical background of these interactions is precisely delineated in the text
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Elements of intraperitoneal cancer cell progression stimulated by senescent peritoneal mesothelial cells. Mediators and signaling pathways underlying these phenomena are discussed in the text
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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