Fig. 3.

Cumulative effects of cytotoxic versus cytostatic therapies on tumor cells and on the tumor microenvironment (TME). Cytotoxic therapies such as standard chemotherapy induce pro-tumorigenic changes in both cancer cells and microenvironmental cells, resulting in rapid tumorprogression. Differently, cytostatic therapies (including targeted therapies and low-dose chemotherapy) induce TME alterations that are compatible with a quiescent state. Dormancy-inducing strategies acting on tumor cells and on the TME can stabilize the quiescent state and prevent degeneration toward progressive disease