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. 2022 May 4;6:31. doi: 10.1038/s41698-022-00272-w

Fig. 3. Therapy-mediated tumor heterogeneity.

Fig. 3

Primary tumors are composed of different subclones. Some subclones are sensitive to selective pressures, including chemotherapy, androgen deprivation therapy, or immunotherapy, while some subclones are resistant to anticancer therapies. Outgrowth of resistant subclones, phenotype switch, or emergence of a new tumor phenotype are strongly related for resistance to anticancer therapies. As a result, the tumor heterogeneity plays a fundamental role in cancer progression to metastasis.