Therefore, while subpopulations of cells with higher intrinsic ΔΨm from both primary and metastatic colonic tumors, and from a primary mammary tumor, acquire properties likely reflecting endogenous cellular resilience, demonstrated by decreased sensitivity to NaB-induced cytotoxicity, or are primed to rapidly adjust to alterations in microenvironment, demonstrated by constitutive hypoxia-independent VEGF secretion, other properties, such as enhanced invasive potential, appear only in subpopulations of cells with elevated ΔΨm that are components of a metastatic tumor. This evidence concerns the gene VEGFA and breast cancer.