[Stem cells and cancer]

Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are universally recognized as the most effective anti-cancer therapies. Despite significant advances directed towards elucidating molecular mechanisms and developing clinical trials, cancer still remains a major public health issue. Cancer stem cells are a subpopulation of the cells that form the tumor. The discovery of these human cancer cells opens a perspective for understanding tumor recurrence, drug resistance and metastasis; and opens up new research directions on how cancer cells are capable of switching from dormancy to malignancy. Therapeutic alternatives emerge from a better understanding of the biology and the environment of tumor stem cells. The present paper aims to summarize the characteristics and properties of cancer stem cells, the ongoing research, as well as the best strategies for prevention and control of the mechanisms of tumor recurrence.