The phenomenon of enhanced invasion and metastasis of residual tumor cells has been observed in an increasing number of patients receiving chemoradiotherapy recently

and tumor metastasis will undoubtedly limit patient prognosis. However

the key mechanism by which chemoradiotherapy affects the invasion and metastasis of tumor cells remains unclear. Studies have shown that chemoradiotherapy may directly act on tumor cells and alter the tumor microenvironment

or induce cell apoptosis and autophagy to promote tumor cell survival and metastasis. In this review

we summarize the potential mechanisms by which chemoradiotherapy may affect the biological behavior of tumor cells and open up new avenues for reducing tumor recurrence and metastasis after treatment. These insights will improve the efficacy of chemoradiotherapy.