[Molecular biological mechanism of cancer metastasis and the prediction of metastasis in clinical cases].

An outline of the mechanism of cancer metastasis is presented from a molecular biological point of view, and the present state and future possibility of prediction about cancer metastasis in clinical cases is described. Cancer metastasis is developed through multiple steps. With the progress of studies on the mechanism of metastasis, the effort to predict cancer metastasis in clinical cases has progressed. Metastasis is formed in concern with many factors, so it may be highly difficult to explain clinical metastasis by a single factor. It will be important to comprehensively put many factors into consideration. For the preoperative diagnosis of the potential of metastasis, examination of specimens from endoscopic biopsy or blood serum will become more important.