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editorial
. 2021 Jul 9;38(4):337–342. doi: 10.1007/s10585-021-10109-8

Fig. 1.

Fig. 1

Tumour cell adaptations and interactions within the microcirculation. Cancer cells escape from primary tumours and are shed into the circulation, where they eventually arrest in capillary beds. Inset: Transit through the microcirculation alters CTC behaviours. Cell deformation due to biomechanical forces (FSS, constrictions) may induce phenotypic changes on CTCs, such as adaptations in cellular stiffness. Moreover, interactions of CTCs with immune cells, endothelium and platelets also take place, leading to stable arrest (platelets, neutrophils), extravasation (neutrophils) and colonization (monocytes and neutrophils)