Figure 1.

Decreased autophagy may favor cancer cell growth during the early stages of cancer progression. During the precancer stages, the inhibition of autophagy contributes to tumor growth. During the early stages of cancer, autophagy acts as a tumor suppressor, and the inhibition of autophagy can allow for the growth of cancer cells. Specifically, protein degradation by autophagy may interrupt tumor growth, suggesting that autophagy inhibition may be a therapeutic strategy for early cancer.