Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide, and its incidence is on the rise. A small fraction of cancer stem cells was identified within the tumour bulk, which are regarded as cancer-initiating cells, possess self-renewal and propagation potential, and a key driver for tumour heterogeneity and disease progression. Cancer heterogeneity reduces the overall efficacy of chemotherapy and contributes to treatment failure and relapse. The cell-surface and subcellular biomarkers related to breast cancer stem cell (BCSC) phenotypes are increasingly being recognised. These biomarkers are useful for the isolation of BCSCs and can serve as potential therapeutic targets and prognostic tools to monitor treatment responses. Recently, the role of noncoding microRNAs (miRNAs) has extensively been explored as novel biomarker molecules for breast cancer diagnosis and prognosis with high specificity and sensitivity. An in-depth understanding of the biological roles of miRNA in breast carcinogenesis provides insights into the pathways of cancer development and its utility for disease prognostication. This review gives an overview of stem cells, highlights the biomarkers expressed in BCSCs and describes their potential role as prognostic indicators.
Highlights
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in most parts of the world, with an increasing trend observed
The aim of this review is to explore the values of biomarkers of breast cancer stem cells as prognostic factors
As breast cancer stem cell (BCSC) play an important role in the pathogenesis of aggressive phenotypes, miRNAs that affect the maintenance of these cells could be valuable prognostic markers
Summary
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in most parts of the world, with an increasing trend observed. In the United States, the number of new cases of breast cancer is higher than the combined number of lung cancer in both sexes [1]. In Malaysia, it is the most common cancer among women. The Malaysian National Cancer Registry report in 2019 showed a total of 18,206 new cases between 2012 and 2016, and this accounted for 34.1% of all cancers. The number of cases and the cumulative risk has gradually increased over a decade, from 3.4 (2007) to 3.8 (2016). There was an increase in the percentage of cases presented at the late stage of the disease between the years.
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