Most Early Disseminated Cancer Cells Detected in Bone Marrow of Breast Cancer Patients Have a Putative Breast Cancer Stem Cell Phenotype

Abstract

This is the first evidence of the existence of the putative stem-like phenotype within the DTC in bone marrow in early breast cancer patients. All patients had a putative stem cell phenotype among the DTC and most individual DTC showed such phenotype. Future molecular characterization of these cells is warranted.