Complex multicellular organisms require quantitative and qualitative assessments on each of their constitutive cell types to ensure coordinated and cooperative behavior towards overall functional proficiency. Cell competition represents one of the operating arms of such quality control mechanisms and relies on fitness comparison among individual cells. However, what is exactly included in the fitness equation for each cell type is still uncertain. Evidence will be discussed to suggest that the ability of the cell to integrate and collaborate within the organismal community represents an integral part of the best fitness phenotype. Thus, under normal conditions, cell competition will select against the emergence of altered cells with disruptive behavior towards tissue integrity and/or tissue pattern formation. On the other hand, the winner phenotype prevailing as a result of cell competition does not entail, by itself, any degree of growth autonomy. While cell competition per se should not be considered as a biological driving force towards the emergence of the neoplastic phenotype, it is possible that the molecular machinery involved in the winner/loser interaction could be hijacked by evolving cancer cell populations.

复杂的多细胞生物需要对其每个组成细胞类型进行定量和定性评估，以确保协调和合作行为实现整体功能熟练。细胞竞争代表了这种质量控制机制的操作臂之一，并依赖于单个细胞之间的适应度比较。然而，每种细胞类型的适应度方程中究竟包含什么仍然不确定。将讨论证据以表明细胞在生物群落内整合和协作的能力代表了最佳适应性表型的一个组成部分。因此，在正常条件下，细胞竞争将选择对抗对组织完整性和/或组织模式形成具有破坏性行为的改变细胞的出现。另一方面，作为细胞竞争结果的优胜者表型本身并不需要任何程度的生长自主。虽然细胞竞争本身不应被视为导致肿瘤表型出现的生物学驱动力，但参与赢家/输家相互作用的分子机制可能会被不断进化的癌细胞群所劫持。