Attieh Fouad, Al Khatib Reina, Boutros Marc, Mouawad Antoine, Kourie Hampig Raphaël
Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut, 11072180, Lebanon.
Department of Hematology-Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut, 11072180, Lebanon.
Med Oncol. 2025 Jun 18;42(7):271. doi: 10.1007/s12032-025-02833-y.
Cancer dormancy poses a major challenge in oncology, often leading to relapse and metastasis years after initial treatment. This phenomenon is driven by the ability of dormant cancer cells to evade immune detection and resist chemotherapy. Thus, these cells remain in a quiescent state until conditions favor their reactivation. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms governing dormancy-including cellular signaling pathways, the role of the tumor microenvironment, and immune system interactions-is essential for developing effective and practical therapeutic interventions. Recent research has highlighted three primary strategies for targeting dormant breast cancer cells: the killing strategy, the sleeping strategy, and the awakening strategy. This review explores the various techniques used to detect dormant breast cancer cells and evaluates experimental therapeutic approaches aimed at either eradicating or controlling them. By synthesizing the latest advancements in cancer dormancy research, this article provides valuable insights for oncologists while remaining accessible to a broader audience.
癌症休眠是肿瘤学面临的一项重大挑战，常常导致在初始治疗数年之后出现复发和转移。这种现象是由休眠癌细胞逃避免疫检测和抵抗化疗的能力所驱动的。因此，这些细胞保持静止状态，直到条件有利于它们重新激活。深入了解控制休眠的机制——包括细胞信号通路、肿瘤微环境的作用以及免疫系统相互作用——对于开发有效且实用的治疗干预措施至关重要。最近的研究突出了针对休眠乳腺癌细胞的三种主要策略：杀伤策略、休眠策略和唤醒策略。本综述探讨了用于检测休眠乳腺癌细胞的各种技术，并评估了旨在根除或控制这些细胞的实验性治疗方法。通过综合癌症休眠研究的最新进展，本文为肿瘤学家提供了有价值的见解，同时也便于更广泛的读者理解。
