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Stem Cells in Breast Cancer

Why are women still dying of breast cancer?

Advances in mammography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) screening for breast cancer have made it possible for doctors to see breast tumors when they are very small. When physicians can diagnose and treat breast cancer early, they often can remove the tumor with surgery and prevent a recurrence.

Once malignant cells leave the primary breast tumor and migrate to other parts of the body, however, treatment is more difficult. Chemotherapy and radiation will kill most malignant cells and shrink the tumor, but the cancer often comes back, because these therapies don't kill the stem cells.

In addition, cancer stem cells drive metastasis - the tendency of malignant cells to spread throughout the body and form new tumors. Metastatic cancer is often what causes the death of women with advanced breast cancer.

To cure metastatic breast cancer, we believe you must eliminate the cancer stem cells. Chemotherapy and radiation alone cannot do that.

Some breast tumors have more stem cells than others. Is that significant?

Recent research has shown that breast tumors with a higher percentage of cancer stem cells are more aggressive and more likely to spread. Women with these tumors have a higher risk of dying from cancer. So knowing the percentage of stem cells in a breast tumor could help us determine which patients need more aggressive treatment.

Continue reading about stem cells in breast cancer:    1     2     3    4

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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.

This information is part of the U-M Health System. The information presented is not a tool for self diagnosis or a substitute for professional care. © 2008 The Regents of the University of Michigan

Learn more:
In 2003, U-M Cancer Center scientists discovered the fingerprint for breast cancer stem cells. Read the press release.

Stem cell research at the University of Michigan
Stem Cells - Explained and Explored

Other stem cell resources
National Institutes of Health Web site on stem cells

International Society for Stem Cell Research

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University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
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This site is part of the U-M Health System. The information presented is not a tool for self diagnosis or a substitute for professional care. © 2008 U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center