Abstract
There is increasing evidence suggesting that some tumours originate from a stem cell population. Such observations appear to support the hypothesis that tu- mours can be generated and maintained by a small subset of undifferentiated cells able to self renew and differentiate into the bulk tumour population. Recently, cells with cancer stem cell-like properties have been identified within breast cancer tis- sues suggesting that a proportion of breast cancers may originate from such progen- itors. Moreover, the intrinsic resistance of cancer stem cells (CSCs) to a range of chemotherapies suggests that their presence in breast cancer may also play a signif- icant role in the development of an endocrine-resistant state. Future clarification of the role that CSCs play in such tumours, particularly in the context of therapeutic resistance, may lead to new treatment strategies for breast cancer where targeting of the CSCs specifically could lead to better and more sustained responses.
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