Tumor Acidity as a Result of the Warburg Effect in Cancer Glucose Metabolism and Its Role in Cancer Progression-A Review.

INTRODUCTION: Resistance to cancer treatment, metastases, and rapid progression remain overwhelming factors for patients, their families, and health providers. One of the key mechanisms for the invasiveness and malignancy of cancer has been identified to be tumor acidity as a direct result of the Warburg effect observed during the continuous formation of cancerous tissue. This study describes the Warburg effect in cancer etiology, which causes lower pH levels in tumors compared to healthy tissues, and it also discusses the mechanisms and impact of tumor acidity on cancer progression and the damage it causes in healthy tissue while facilitating cancer invasion and dissemination.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A review of the literature was conducted using search words such as: "Tumor acidity," "Cancer metabolism," "Warburg effect," "Glucose metabolism," and "Cancer cells," to analyze the effect tumor acidity has on healthy tissue, as well as the potential it has for cancer progression.

RESULTS: The review of the literature showed a high level of suggestive evidence of the negative impact of tumor acidity on healthy tissue. It furthermore confirmed some of the suspected ways of cancer progression induced by tumor acidity.

CONCLUSIONS: Cancer is associated with massive complex metabolic reprogramming resulting in tumor acidity, which has the potential to further damage healthy tissues, as well as to induce cancer progression and dissemination. However, it also presents a metabolic vulnerability that can be used as a drug target to help enhance the efficiency of conventional cancer therapies.