Purpose of review
Cancer cells alter their metabolism in order to support their rapid proliferation and
expansion across the body. In particular, tumor cells, rather than fueling glucose in the
oxidative phosphorylation pathway, generally use glucose for aerobic glycolysis. In this
review, we discuss some of the mechanisms thought to be responsible for the
acquisition of a glycolytic phenotype in cancer cells and how the switch towards
glycolysis represents a selective growth advantage.