A study has found cancer-stimulating cells could be travelling from bone marrow to help tumours grow in other parts of the body.

Researchers from Queensland and South Australia studied bone marrow transplant patients who went on to develop secondary cancers.

They believe they have found a link between cells that originate from the bone marrow and the growth of tumours elsewhere.
 

Dr Daniel Worthley headed the research and says the cells are thought to be cancer-stimulating fibroblasts.

"Some of the cells that might surround a cancer, such as a breast cancer, could theoretically be from the bone marrow," he said.

"Not the cancer cells themselves, but in fact the very important cells that are surrounding the tumour, those are the cells."