The Role of Cancer Stem Cells in Breast Cancer Initiation and Progression: Potential Cancer Stem Cell-Directed Therapies
- 31 August 2012
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in The Oncologist
- Vol. 17 (11), 1394-1401
- https://doi.org/10.1634/theoncologist.2012-0163
Abstract
Recent studies have identified a small population of highly tumorigenic cells with stem cell properties in human breast and other solid tumors that are considered to be the source of tumor initiation and maintenance; these cells are referred to as cancer stem cells (CSCs). Preclinical data suggest that current breast cancer treatment strategies lead to CSC enrichment, contributing to chemotherapy and radiotherapy resistance, although a strong correlation with clinical parameters and prognosis is yet to be established. Importantly, overcoming treatment failure by effective targeting of CSCs may be an appealing approach, potentially leading to improved clinical outcomes for patients with breast cancer. Several preclinical studies provide promising results that support this hypothesis. The purpose of this review is to summarize the role of CSCs in breast cancer recurrence and resistance and to discuss current attempts of CSC targeting.Keywords
Funding Information
- Pfizer
- Hellenic Society of Medical Oncology
- Lynn Sage Foundation
- Dolores Knes Fund
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