Purpose of review: Tissue factor is increasingly viewed as an integral part of the vicious circle that links the vascular system with cancer progression at multiple systemic, cellular and molecular levels.
Recent findings: The emerging tenet in this area is that oncogenic events/pathways driving the malignant process also stimulate the expression of tissue factor by cancer cells and promote the release of tissue factor-containing microvesicles into the circulation. The combined effects of these changes likely contribute to cancer coagulopathy, cessation of tumour dormancy, aggressive growth, angiogenesis and metastasis, notably through a combination of procoagulant and signalling effects set in motion by tissue factor. As certain tumour-associated host cell types (inflammatory cells, endothelium) may also express tissue factor their contribution is plausible, though poorly understood. Interestingly, tissue factor could be 'shared' between various subsets of cancer and host cells due to intercellular transfer of tissue factor-containing microvesicles. It has recently been proposed that tissue factor may influence the interactions between tumour initiating (stem) cells and their growth or prometastatic niches.
Summary: Whereas targeting tissue factor in cancer is appealing, the prospects in this regard will depend on the identification of disease specific indications, active agents and their safe regimens.