Cancer's Stem Cell Revolution:
Treatment options with stem cells
Research on cancer stem cells could change everything about how doctors diagnose,
prevent and treat cancer
Will the discovery of cancer stem cells change how doctors treat cancer?
By analyzing the genes that are active in a patient's cancer stem cells and counting the number of stem cells in a
tumor, physicians could identify patients at high risk for advanced, aggressive disease.
Watch the video and listen as Max Wicha, Director, Comprehensive Cancer Center, explains how
stem cells may impact cancer treatment
New therapies designed to target stem cells could eliminate cancer without the risks and side effects of current
treatments that also destroy healthy cells in the body. Destroying cancer stem cells in the original tumor could
reduce the risk of deadly metastasis, where malignant cells move from the primary tumor to other places in the body.
Finally, by killing the cells driving the tumor's growth, treatments targeted at cancer stem cells could eliminate
recurrences of the disease.
Why doesn't chemotherapy and radiation kill cancer stem cells?
Scientists don't know for sure. Since chemotherapy and radiation kill cells that divide often, stem cells may be
less vulnerable because they rarely divide. Some scientists believe cancer stem cells may have genetic mutations that
make them resistant to damage from chemotherapy or radiation, or cancer stem cells may be able to repair DNA damage
more rapidly than normal cells.
This document is not intended to take
the place of the care and
attention of your personal physician or other professional
medical
services. Our aim is to promote active participation in your
care and
treatment by providing information and education. Questions
about
individual health concerns or specific treatment options
should be
discussed with your physician.
