We report the case of a patient with NSCLC who had an unusual recurrence in his skull after a direct minor trauma. The traumatic event was followed by the development of a small swelling that grew rapidly and manifested itself as an unusual metastatic lesion in the parietal skull bone as demonstrated in the accompanying figures. This event may be explained by the presence of dormant cancer cells might have been stimulated by a new environment of stimulatory factors. Several authors have investigated similar issues and incriminated growth factors, cytokines and angiogenic mechanisms [1]. It is now well known that cancer patients may harbor micrometastases and dormant cancer cells. Metastases remain dormant and clinically undetectable during a variable period of time when tumor cell proliferation is balanced by an equivalent rate of cell death.
Establishment and growth of metastases are thought to be influenced by endogenous inhibitors of angiogenesis which keep metastases in a non-proliferating quiescent state characterized by normal proliferation, increased apoptosis, and insufficient neovascularization [2, 4]. Folkman suggested that, for tumors to grow and develop metastatic potential, they must make an "angiogenic switch" through perturbing the local balance of proangiogenic and antiangiogenic factors [5]. Lesions in the nervous system induce rapid activation of glial cells and under certain conditions additional recruitment of granulocytes, T-cells and monocytes/macrophages from the blood stream triggered by upregulation of cell adhesions molecules, chemokines, and cytokines [6].
Cytokines and chemokines may act to promote tumors by several mechanisms that include: DNA damage, bypass of p53, angiogenesis, growth stimulation, enhanced survival, subversion of immunity and enhanced invasion [7]. Some chemokines (eg, IL-8) are proangiogenic whereas others such as IP-10 have antiangiogenic activity. Chemokines have direct actions on microvacsular endothelial cells. In addition, CC chemokines may inhibit or stimulate angiogenesis indirectly, via their influence on tumor-associated macrophages. Inflammatory macrophages produce transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) that is itself angiogenic and induces production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) [8]. This activation causes temporarily dormant micrometatases to vascularize, and thus to enter a rapid growth phase. In many tumors (eg, NSCLC and pancreatic carcinoma) it is postulated that the balance between proangiogenic and antiangiogenic cytokines and chemokines, rather than absolute amounts, regulates tumor angiogenesis [1].
A traumatic event triggers several mechanisms of soft tissue and bone repair of which angiogenesis is part. Dormant cancer cells at the site of tissue trauma and thereby exposed to pro-inflammatory mediators, may be sufficiently stimulated to overcome dormancy. Lee et al. [9] studied the effect of trauma on the implantation of metastatic tumor in bone in mice. The results suggest that the healing wound is a privileged site for experimental metastasis, particularly in the early stages. It is likely that the proteins in the blood clotting cascade are involved in local tumor implantation [10].
Another mechanism whereby trauma may alter subsequent tumor growth is that cytokine genes are highly polymorphic and since polymorphisms are frequently in regions of DNA that regulate transcription or post-transcriptional events, the cytokines may be cancer-modified genes [11].
Baum suggested that the act of surgery can provoke the outgrowth of dormant micrometatstasis [12, 13]. Coffey et al. [3] reviewed mechanisms by which tumor excision may alter residual tumor growth and discussed the potential use of peri-operative chemotherapy, antiendotoxin agents, immunotherapy and biomodulation with use of dendritic-cell vaccines. Retsky et al. [14] hypothesized that induced angiogenesis after surgery in premenopausal node-positive breast cancer patients is a major underlying reason why adjuvant chemotherapy works particularly well for those patients. Our present case is an illustration of cellular mechanisms also associated with trauma that might either stimulate tumor growth of already present and dormant cells, or attract and trap circulating tumor cells.
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