Abstract

Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment for most classes of human solid tumours, with the principal exception of lymphomas, but it is insufficient in many cases to guarantee cure. With few exceptions, recurrent and metastatic solid tumours continue to defy attempts to develop effective adjuvant therapies. Recent insights into tumour biology reveal an increasingly complex picture of cell and molecular processes which confer heterogeneity and resistance to treatment upon tumours. These insights may also yield new targets for more effective adjuvant therapies.