Message From the Director Maja H. Oktay, MD, Ph.D. Extensive experimental evidence indicates that the tumor microenvironment regulates the phenotype of cancer cells. The tumor microenvironment particularly affects the induction of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), activation of stem programs, and the systemic dissemination of tumor cells, three processes critical for metastasis and disease progression. Moreover, a growing body of evidence indicates that therapies commonly used for treatment of cancer may modify tumor microenvironment and affect cancer progression. Since cancer cell dissemination causes 90% of cancer-related mortality, translation of this knowledge to clinic could significantly impact our approach to the prognosis and treatment of cancer patients. Therefore, the focus of NYPOG is to understand the role of the tumor microenvironment in cancer cell dissemination and development of distant metastases in patients of all racial backgrounds. In addition, NYPOG is focused on understanding the effect of systemic therapies on tumor microenvironment-mediated induction of invasive, stem, and dormant tumor cells, and the maintenance of these phenotypes at the primary and metastatic sites. Currently, collaborations have been established to share tissue and design cohorts for these studies.
