Amato Giaccia: Understanding metastasis to decrease cancer mortality rates

Radiation oncologist and cancer biologist Amato Giaccia, PhD, compares the solid-tumor microenvironment to Napa Valley: As types of grapes thrive in certain soils and climates, so too do tumors require specific conditions to grow and metastasize. Studying genetic and epigenetic regulators of metastasis, his lab’s work may lead to the development of therapeutics that would inhibit or eradicate the process, which contributes to 90 percent of cancer-related deaths.