Survival Mechanisms and Influence Factors of Circulating Tumor Cells

Figure 1

Survival mechanisms and influence factors of CTCs. This figure depicts the possible survival mechanisms underlying the formation and migration of CTCs in the blood microenvironment. The survival of CTCs is closely related to their internal biological characteristics, mainly including some genetic alterations, abnormal gene expression, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and cancer stem cell properties. Moreover, various components in the peripheral blood, such as platelets, immune cells, cytokines, and CTMs, may interact with CTCs and promote their survival.