Breast cancer intra-tumor heterogeneity

One tumor, different entities 

Autores: Esparza López José, Escobar Arriaga Elizabeth, Soto Germes Santos, Ibarra Sánchez María de Jesús

Resumen

In recent years, it has become evident that intra-tumor heterogeneity of breast cancer is a big challenge for the diagnosis, treatment, and clinical course of tumor-bearing patients. The advances in molecular biology and other technologies have led to the knowledge that a breast cancer tumor is comprised of multiple cellular entities. Here we review the two theories that have been described, trying to explain the origin of intra-tumor heterogeneity: clonal evolution and cancer stem cells. The first one considers that a single cell gives rise to many subpopulations through the accumulation of multiple aberrations, while the cancer stem cells theory foresees a hierarchical tumor evolution where only a few cells with self-renewal capacity give rise to different subpopulations. We also analyze the genetic, epigenetic, and microenvironment contributions to breast cancer intra-tumor heterogeneity. Finally, the clinical and therapeutic impact of intra-tumor heterogeneity on the outcome of breast cancer patients is discussed.

Palabras clave: Breast cancer cancer stem cell clonal evolution intra tumor heterogeneity

2017-05-15   |   474 visitas   |   Evalua este artículo 0 valoraciones

Vol. 69 Núm.2. Enero-Febrero 2017 Pags. 66-76 Rev Invest Clin 2017; 69(2)