Difference in the timing of cessation of palliative chemotherapy between patients with incurable cancer receiving therapy only in a local hospital and those transitioned from a tertiary medical center to a local hospital.

Background: It is important to know when to decide to end palliative chemotherapy (PC) for the quality of life of patients. However, there is currently no clear agreement on when to terminate PC.

Objectives: To determine whether the difference of the period between the completion of PC and death affects patients' trajectory of supportive care near end of life.

MT1-MMP promotes cell growth and ERK activation through c-Src and paxillin in three-dimensional collagen matrix.

Membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is essential for tumor invasion and growth. We show here that MT1-MMP induces extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation in cancer cells cultured in collagen gel, which is indispensable for their proliferation. Inhibition of MT1-MMP by MMP inhibitor or small interfering RNA suppressed activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and ERK in MT1-MMP-expressing cancer cells, which resulted in up-regulation of p21(WAF1) and suppression of cell growth in collagen gel.