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Breast Circulating Tumour Cells and Breast Cancer Stem Cells

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Breast Cancer Stem Cells & Therapy Resistance

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Stem Cells ((BRIEFSSTEM))

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Abstract

Some recent studies showed that breast cancer patient’s peripheral blood contained a small population of breast cancer cells that circulates in the blood system. These cells were considered as origins of metastasis. They closely related to breast CSCs. Some hypothesis demonstrated that circulating tumour cells (CTCs) could be breast CSCs that escaped from the tumours and circulated in the blood. However, they changed the phenotype during invasion process, so-called epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). This chapter would discuss the origin of CTCs as well as a mechanism of MET and EMT. Breast CTCs and breast CSCs share a lot of similarities; however, to date there is not enough evidence to confirm whether or not breast CTCs are in fact breast CSCs. No evidence regarding the origin of both breast CTCs and breast CSCs in breast cancer patients exists and, according to the published findings discussed in this chapter, breast CTCs and breast CSCs maybe two forms of one kind of breast cancer cell. In certain environments, breast cancer cells exhibit the breast CSC phenotype while in other environments they exhibit the breast CTC phenotype.

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  1. Animal Physiology and Biotechnology, Vietnam National University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Phuc Van Pham

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Van Pham, P. (2015). Breast Circulating Tumour Cells and Breast Cancer Stem Cells. In: Breast Cancer Stem Cells & Therapy Resistance. SpringerBriefs in Stem Cells. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22020-8_7

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