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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Apr 1.
Published in final edited form as: Trends Cancer. 2018 Mar 13;4(4):292–319. doi: 10.1016/j.trecan.2018.02.005

Figure 1. Abnormalities of the tumor mechanical microenvironment and barriers to drug delivery.

Figure 1

(A) Top - A solid tumor consists of cancer and stromal cells, blood and lymphatic vessels and a dense ECM. Blood vessels can be hyper-permeable leading to plasma leakiness and/or collapsed owing to accumulation of solid stress among tumor’s structural components. Collagen deposition and stresses stored in all solid components cause mechanical abnormalities. Bottom: Because of plasma leakage from the hyper-permeable blood vessels, and the loss of lymphatic drainage in the tumor, interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) is elevated throughout the tumor and drops precipitously in the tumor margin (indicated by the dark green color in the schematic). (B) Collective data of IFP measurements in human tumors and normal tissues from published studies.[adapted with permission from [88]] (C) Effects of tumor abnormalities (vessel hyper-permeability, solid stress elevation and high ECM density) on tumor perfusion and IFP and associated barriers to drug delivery. Hypoxia and acidity resulting from poor perfusion can fuel tumor invasion and metastasis and confer resistance to many cancer therapies.