The role of HGF/MET and FGF/FGFR in fibroblast-derived growth stimulation and lapatinib-resistance of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Background Although advanced esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC) is treated using a multidisciplinary approach, outcomes remain unsatisfactory. The microenvironment of cancer cells has recently been shown to strongly influence the biologic properties of malignancies. We explored the effect of supernatant from esophageal fibroblasts on the cell growth and chemo-resistance of ESCC cell lines.