Senescence in cancer

Cellular senescence is a state of stable cell-cycle arrest induced by various intrinsic and extrinsic stressors, serving as a protective mechanism to prevent the proliferation of damaged cells. While this process is crucial for tissue homeostasis and tumor suppression, the progressive accumulation of senescent cells (SnCs) over time is implicated in age-related pathologies, including immune dysfunction and cancer. In oncology, senescence plays a paradoxical role: it can inhibit tumor development by halting the growth of potentially malignant cells, yet it may also facilitate tumor progression through the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). This review explores the defining features of senescence in cancer, its complex interactions with tumor cells, the stroma, and the immune system, and its context-dependent outcomes. We also discuss current and emerging therapeutic strategies that target SnCs—either by inducing or eliminating them—as well as AI-driven approaches for their detection and characterization in cancer.