Figure 1
A model for breast cancer liver metastasis. (i) intravasation: invasive breast cancer cell invades through the endothelium of a tumor blood vessel into circulation; (ii) circulation: breast cancer cell survives in the blood vessels without any attachment; (iii) margination: circulating breast cancer cell arrests at the site of liver by adhering to the sinusoidal endothelial cell via specific sets of adhesion molecules; (iv) extravasation: the migrated breast cancer cell invades through the endothelial wall of sinusoidal endothelial cell, migrates and finally proliferates in the liver; and (v) colonization: breast cancer cells survive and form a life-threatening focus in liver.