Cancer Stem Cells May Be Cause of Brain Tumors

Stem cells--commonly known as a source of biologic rejuvenation--may play harmful roles in the body, particularly in the growth and metastasis of cancer. First discovered in leukemia, stem cells have been detected in solid tumors found in pancreatic, prostate, colon, breast, and brain cancers.

On December 11, 2007, a symposium at the annual American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting held in Atlanta, GA, USA, addressed the topic. Neurosurgeon researchers from New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center (New York, NY, USA) are conducting ongoing research evaluating methods to combat brain cancer stem cells. To stave off cancer stem cell growth in the brain, Dr. John Boockvar, chairman of medicine, New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, is studying two drugs already available for cancer treatment. Early findings from these studies have shown that, that some patients' cancers are destroyed, while others' remain resistant. Dr. Boockvar believes that these patients' drug resistance might be due to a class of stem cells resistant to available treatments.

"Some patients' brain tumors respond to chemotherapy and some don't,” remarked Dr. Boockvar. "We believe cancer stem cells may be the cause.”


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Weill Cornell Medical Center