Altered glycosylation is a universal feature of cancer cells, and certain glycan structures are well-known markers for tumor progression. This chapter discusses some glycan biosynthetic pathways that are frequently altered in cancer cells, the correlation between altered glycosylation and clinical prognosis, the genetic basis of some of these changes, and in vitro and in vivo studies that indicate the pathological importance of these pathways.
Copyright © 2009, The Consortium of Glycobiology Editors, La Jolla, California.