Abstract IA06: Concepts of cancer and metastasis: Historical perspective

In medicine, as in all of human history, there is a permanent back and forth between two principal modes of thought: (i) magical/religious/ fears/obscurantism, leading to dogma;, and (ii) intellectual activities resulting in the questioning of dogma and opening doors to new concepts. Concerning cancer, since ancient Egypt, several methods of thinking have been instituted and then rejected, influenced by new discoveries but also by the cultural context. With respect to mechanisms of cancer metastasis, after considerable debate in the 19th century, intravascular dissemination of cancer was finally imposed and is still accepted as the only mechanism for distant metastasis. However, at present, other perspectives are now taken into consideration, and in particular melanoma angiotropism, pericytic mimicry, and extravascular migratory metastasis (EVMM). This new field of cancer research may open promising new strategies for reducing or preventing melanoma metastasis. Citation Format: Claire Lugassy, Raymond L Barnhill. Concepts of cancer and metastasis: Historical perspective [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Melanoma: From Biology to Target; 2019 Jan 15-18; Houston, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(19 Suppl):Abstract nr IA06.