Although we have made great progress in understanding tumor pathogenesis through studies on gene mutation and cancer stem cells, the clinical outcome continues to be unfavorable for many cancers. The biological characteristics of cancers including autonomous proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and post-treatment recurrence result from interactions between cancers and their microenvironment, which involves complex molecular interactions. However, the patterns underlying these complex mechanisms are still unclear. In this review, several potential patterns in the occurrence and development of cancers were elucidated. The core relationship between a tumor and its host microenvironment is the nutritional and signal interactions between cancer stem cells and endothelial cells. The nutritional interaction between the cancer and the host triggers the invasion and metastasis of cancers; the imbalance between tissue responses of cancer stem cells and the feedback regulation of self-renewal or post-injury repair leads to the autonomous proliferation of cancers. Cancers can restore the growth balance and maintain homeostasis, depending on residual nutritional factors, and these abilities are the determinants of therapeutic efficacy. These findings have been beneficial to developing novel strategies for cancer therapies.