[Tumor dormancy and identification of therapeutic targets].

Tumor dormancy is characterized by long-term persistence of cancer cells that do not grow into overt lesions. It is a common phenomenon detected in cancer patients, even in some healthy individuals. Long term existence of dormant tumor cells may contribute to tumor recurrence and metastasis. In this review, we discussed the mechanisms of tumor cell dormancy, and its correlation to cancer stem cells. We further summarized recent studies on molecular markers for tumor dormancy, which may offer new approaches of targeted therapies in cancer.