T The basement membrane can be specifically characterized by its fibrous protein network of type IV collagen and laminin, these components have been targeted and proposed as one constituent of extracellular matrix which carries responsibility for regulating invasion and metastasis. Invasive growth of cancer cells is a complex process involving specific interactions between tumour cells and the orderly integrated complexes of the extracellular matrix. The mechanisms by which a malignant tumour initially penetrates a confining basement membrane and invades the surrounding extracellular environment thought to involve three steps. The tumour must first acquire the ability to bind to laminin. As consequence of the binding to laminin, matrix protein degrading enzymes called Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) such as collagen and other protease are released from the tumour cells and the basement membrane is lysed. The cancer cell then moves through the defect in the basement membrane and spread through the underlying connective tissue.