Alternatively, FGF2 may be released under hypoxic stress as a potent angiogenic factor; it may affect bone remodelling and thus tumour progression by osteoclast recruitment (Collin-Osdoby et al, 2002), or it may act in a paracrine fashion by inducing growth factor production in bone marrow stroma cells (Zhang et al, 2002; Bisping et al, 2003). Here, FGF2 is linked to neoplasm.