Why cancer returns
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August 2, 2012 |
Tumours sometimes grow back even when treatment seemed successful. Is it because treatment doesn’t target the root cause of the cancer?
Several new studies have identified so-called cancer stem cells for the first time. These cells drive tumour growth. To destroy tumours completely we probably need to target these cells as well as the tumours.
Telling the difference between cancer stem cells and healthy stem cells, responsible for repair, will be tricky. But it’s still a huge step forward in the fight against cancer – hurray!
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Studies were done on brain, gut and skin cancer, but the researchers think all solid tumours may come from cancer stem cells.
Image: Flickr/racineur
