Cellular senescence in precancer lesions and early-stage cancers

Cellular senescence plays dual roles in precancer lesions: initially serving as a tumor-suppressive barrier within the epithelial compartment and later contributing to a pro-tumoral precancer tissue microenvironment (PreTME) via a sustained, paracrine secretome known as senescent-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). This commentary highlights the role of senescence across various PreTME cell types, explores emerging pharmacologic and lifestyle interception strategies, and outlines current challenges for advancing biomarkers and clinical translation.