Mammalian cells including cancer cells respond to stress with mechanisms that promote the preservation of cellular functions. These mechanisms have been intensively investigated as potential targets to boost the cytotoxicity of cancer therapy. However, the same pathways underlie the emission of signals that coordinate adaptive responses across tissues, organs and the whole organism, implying that their inhibition may compromise immunological tumour control. Thus, the quantity of cancer cells that succumb treatment (which never is 100%) may be less important than the actual mechanisms activated in the course of cancer cell death for disease outcome.