Breast cancer stem cells

Abstract

Cancer of the breast is the most common tumor in women in the Western-world countries. The expressions of luminal markers as ERα and GATA3 in luminal tumors suggest that their origin is normal luminal cells. Analogously, the expression of CK5 and CK17 in basal like tumors may suggest a source from myoepithelial/basal compartment. However this logic not explained as luminal progenitors are the target population for the development of basal-tumors. This finding supports the idea that the features of tumor not necessarily reflect the cell of origin. In this sense it would be possible that breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) could play an important role in the origin of breast cancer. The Cancer Stem Cells Hypothesis has become more widely accepted. The existence of CSC in breast cancer has important consequences in prevention and therapy. Preventive strategies focused in reducing the number of CSCs as a mean to reduce breast cancer risk is a topic of high concern. The technological advances in CSC identification have favoured a better understanding of the possible mechanisms involved in the metastasis development and late relapse in breast cancer.