Anti-cancer Treatment May Increase Cancer Cell
Dr. Vasyl Vasko of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences said that some anti-cancer treatments may shrink tumors but produce more cancer stem cells, which then metastasize as a way to survive the therapy
The research which was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research’s second International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development, said the cancer stem-cell markers include Nanog and BMI1, both of which contribute to stem cells’ defining ability to renew themselves and differentiate into different cell types. Vasko said these same molecules are found in embryonic stem cells.
“This may help explain why the expression of stem-cell markers has been associated with resistance to chemotherapy and radiation treatments and poor outcome for patients with cancers including prostate, breast and lung cancers,” Vasko said Friday in a release.
