Autophagy plays a role in triggering mechanisms of immunosurveillance by facilitating the release of ATP from dying cells, which attract the attention of myeloid cells via a special class of receptor known as purinergic receptors. Activation of this important system of immunosurveillance is a predictor of long-term success from chemotherapeutic treatments and also may help to explain the complex relationship of autophagy with cancer, where the initial suppression of autophagy may help prevent attracting undue attention from the immune system, but also facilitate ongoing transformation. In later stage cancer, autophagy may be reactivated to help cells in their pursuit to continue gaining a foothold in the otherwise hostile environment of the body.