Tumordriven

Tumordriven is a term used in oncology and cancer biology to describe processes, observations, or research approaches in which tumor-intrinsic factors are the primary drivers of the phenomenon under study. The term emphasizes that the central causal role belongs to tumor cells or their genetic and epigenetic programs, rather than to host physiology, treatment, or environmental factors. In this sense, tumordriven effects may be contrasted with host-driven or treatment-driven effects that depend mainly on the patient’s tissues, immune system, or therapy-induced changes.

Usage and examples of tumordriven concepts appear in discussions of clonal evolution, metastasis, therapy resistance, and tumor-derived signaling. For example, therapy resistance can be described as tumor-driven when resistance arises primarily from tumor cell mutations or adaptive changes, rather than from immune escape or pharmacokinetic factors. Tumor-derived exosomes or secreted factors can reprogram distant sites or the tumor microenvironment, illustrating a tumor-driven influence on disease progression.

Relation to the tumor microenvironment is nuanced. The tumordriven viewpoint does not deny host contributions; rather, it highlights the tumor’s role in initiating or dominating certain processes. The term is informal and used variably across studies, and it should be interpreted in context with other factors governing cancer biology.

See also cancer biology; tumor microenvironment; clonal evolution; metastasis; precision oncology.