Scientists from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have found that the fatal outcome of cancer may be caused not by metastasis, but by the invasion of major blood vessels by tumors. The findings were published in Nature Medicine.

The authors analyzed health data from more than 100 patients with solid tumors who died in Dallas-area hospitals. As part of the study, they also monitored the condition of 31 terminally ill hospice patients.

The researchers discovered that in most of the subjects, tumors had infiltrated major blood vessels such as the inferior vena cava, the portal vein, the hepatic veins, and the abdominal aorta. In the final weeks of life, patients also showed a sharp increase in circulating tumor cells in the bloodstream.

Unlike conventional autopsies, the modified methodology used by the scientists preserved the integrity of the blood vessels and allowed them to identify the affected areas. The findings confirmed that tumors can provoke the formation of blood clots, which disrupt circulation and trigger the failure of vital organs.

Additional confirmation came from an analysis of CT scans of more than 1,200 cancer patients in Germany, where a significant proportion also showed signs of vascular infiltration. This discovery challenges the long-standing assumption about the mechanisms of cancer-related death and may change clinical approaches to treatment.

According to the authors, special attention should be paid to tumors located near large vessels: surgical or radiation treatment targeting these areas could potentially reduce the risk of complications and improve survival.

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