Cancer cells can organize and communicate in functional networks. Similarly to other networks in biology and sociology, these can be highly relevant for growth and resilience. In this Perspective, we demonstrate by the example of glioblastomas and other incurable brain tumours how versatile multicellular tumour networks are formed by two classes of long intercellular membrane protrusions: tumour microtubes and tunnelling nanotubes. The resulting networks drive tumour growth and resistance to standard therapies. This raises the question of how to disconnect brain tumour networks to halt tumour growth and whether this can make established therapies more effective. Emerging principles of tumour networks, their potential relevance for tumour types outside the brain and translational implications, including clinical trials that are already based on these discoveries, are discussed.

癌细胞可以在功能网络中组织和交流。与生物学和社会学中的其他网络类似，这些网络与增长和复原力高度相关。在这篇 Perspective 中，我们以胶质母细胞瘤和其他无法治愈的脑肿瘤为例，展示了两类长细胞间膜突起是如何形成多功能多细胞肿瘤网络的：肿瘤微管和隧道纳米管。由此产生的网络推动了肿瘤的生长和对标准疗法的抵抗。这就提出了一个问题，即如何断开脑肿瘤网络以阻止肿瘤生长，以及这是否可以使既定疗法更有效。肿瘤网络的新兴原理，它们与脑外肿瘤类型的潜在相关性和转化意义，