VEGFC and cancer: These discoveries affect how we currently think about tumours; that is, the spread of cancer cells from the primary tumour to the lymphatics and blood stream, which has been previously attributed to the general invasive properties of the tumour, is now understood to be due to active recruitment of new lymphatics by tumour-derived VEGF-C or VEGF-D (Karpanen and Alitalo, 2001; Plate, 2001; Karkkainen et al, 2002).