Here is an excerpt from the article. P.S. I have been on tamoxifen for 3 years…
A 2013 study [3] found that DDR2, a protein that sits on the surface of tumor cells and binds to collagen, activates a pathway that encourages the spread and invasiveness of tumor cells. Researchers stated that DDR2 might very well be a good therapeutic target for treating metastasized breast cancer.
A 2014 paper [4] in Tumour Biologystated “While collagen was traditionally regarded as a passive barrier to resist tumor cells, it is now evident that collagen is also actively involved in promoting tumor progression. Collagen changes in tumor microenvironment release biomechanical signals, which are sensed by both tumor cells and stromal cells, trigger a cascade of biological events. In this work, we discuss how collagen can be a double-edged sword in tumor progression, both inhibiting and promoting tumor progression at different stages of cancer development.”
Another 2014 paper [5] stated that both hyaluronan (another glycoprotein found in the ECM) and collagen VI are upregulated (promoted) in breast cancer, generating a microenvironment that promotes the progression of a tumor and also metastasis.
In her 2015 YouTube video “Understanding the Role of Collagen in Breast Cancer” [6], Dr Patricia Kelly explains that breast cancer cells use the collagen network in order to travel to other parts of the body.
A 2016 article in Science Signaling [7] stated that TM4SF1 (a protein encoded by the gene TM4SF1) promoted the reactivation of dormant breast cancer cells in the lung, bone, and brain by promoting signaling when cells came into contact with type I collagen. Also, high TM4SF1 expression correlated with reduced metastasis-free survival in breast cancer patients, and that for those who had high expression of TM4SF1, this was highly predictive of their breast cancer recurrence.
