CSCs have the ability of self-proliferation just like regular stem cells. A single CSC can divide asymmetrically into one CSC and one differentiated tumor cell. The tumor is majority made up of the latter cells.
In some cancers CSCs are quiescent for long period of time, making them ineffective to the treatment. Therefore, even decades after the primary cancer has been fully treated, the reactivation of the inactive CSCs may lead to tumor recurrence.
Phoenix rising is a process by which dead cells send signals that promote growth and division, generating new cells. After a tissue injury, stem cells present in and around the injured tissue play a crucial role in replenishing the damaged ones. It is theorized that molecules released from wounded cells trigger stem cells' migration to that site, followed by differentiation and proliferation. Through the process of apoptosis, the dying tumor cells provide growth signals and repair radiation-damaged tumors. PGE2 is released by apoptotic cells in a caspase-dependent manner, which aids cancer stem cells and cancer progenitor cells in expanding and multiplying.
Cancer recurrence (relapse) is ascribed to malignant cells that evade therapy: small numbers of cancer cells may remain undetected, and dormant, pausing their proliferation for long time. This can occur also by mechanisms different from cell cycle quiescence. In fact, the effects of therapy that kills most cancer cells, may cause a few of them to pause proliferation instead of dying. While the precise mechanism of growth arrest is not entirely clear and may not be uniform across cancer cases, malignant cells that survive chemotherapy make several metabolic adaptations and possess altered configuration of key positions of their chromatin, the material that packages their DNA. This has as result that certain conditions can trigger expression of genes that reignite cancer cell growth, causing proliferation, and additionally these conditions may trigger aberrant expression of genes that cause changes in the host tissue, which also permit cancer growth.
Early diagnosis of recurrence is important and can improve the prognosis and survival of patients with cancer. Depending on the primary cancer type, several laboratory and imaging tests, as well as numerous invasive procedures, are used for the diagnosis of recurring cancers. Malignant tumors develop and secrete biologic chemicals known as tumor markers that are detectable in the bloodstream. These markers might ideally be used to screen for cancer, diagnose it, and track how effectively it responds to treatment.
The inherent limits of current cancer therapy approaches usually result in treatment failure. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy resistance is a common factor in the failure of treatment for many cancers. Additionally, because most treatments cannot completely eradicate CSCs, many methods that are not adequately selective against CSCs might be harmful to healthy tissues, and patients frequently run the risk of recurrence and metastasis.
Recent years have seen the development of numerous treatments with the goal of eliminating CSC. Targeting CSC surface markers, the ABC cascade, the microenvironment, or signal cascades could all help kill CSCs. There are numerous drugs targeting these markers or pathways, which are being tested in clinical trials. The treatment varies from cancer to cancer and patient to patient.
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