Groundbreaking research reveals that common respiratory viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2 and influenza, can awaken dormant metastatic breast cancer cells in the lungs, triggering progression to active disease. Using mouse models, researchers demonstrated increased metastatic cell proliferation following viral infection linked to inflammatory pathways involving IL-6 and T cell modulation. These findings, published in Nature, provide vital insights into how viral-induced inflammation disrupts cancer remission and could influence clinical management strategies for cancer survivors.