Reawakening of dormant estrogen-dependent human breast cancer cells by bone marrow stroma secretory senescence

摘要

BackgroundDormant estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer micrometastases in the bone marrow survive adjuvant chemotherapy and recur stochastically for more than 20 years. We hypothesized that inflammatory cytokines produced by stromal injury can re-awaken dormant breast cancer cells.