Clinical management and biology of tumor dormancy in breast cancer

TY - JOUR

T1 - Clinical management and biology of tumor dormancy in breast cancer

AU - Werner, Stefan

AU - Heidrich, Isabel

AU - Pantel, Klaus

N1 - Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

PY - 2022/1

Y1 - 2022/1

N2 - Clinical tumor dormancy is specified as an extended latency period between removal of the primary tumor and subsequent relapse in a cancer patient who has been clinically disease-free. In particular, patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer can undergo extended periods of more than five years before they relapse with overt metastatic disease. Recent studies have shown that minimal residual disease in breast cancer patients can be monitored by different liquid biopsy approaches like analysis of circulating tumor cells or cell-free tumor DNA. Even though the biological principles underlying tumor dormancy in breast cancer patients remain largely unknown, clinical observations and experimental studies have identified emerging mechanisms that control the state of tumor dormancy. In this review, we illustrate the latest discoveries on different molecular aspects that contribute to the control of tumor dormancy and distant metastatic relapse, then discuss current treatments affecting minimal residual disease and dormant cancer cells, and finally highlight how novel liquid biopsy based diagnostic methodologies can be integrated into the detection and molecular characterization of minimal residual disease.

AB - Clinical tumor dormancy is specified as an extended latency period between removal of the primary tumor and subsequent relapse in a cancer patient who has been clinically disease-free. In particular, patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer can undergo extended periods of more than five years before they relapse with overt metastatic disease. Recent studies have shown that minimal residual disease in breast cancer patients can be monitored by different liquid biopsy approaches like analysis of circulating tumor cells or cell-free tumor DNA. Even though the biological principles underlying tumor dormancy in breast cancer patients remain largely unknown, clinical observations and experimental studies have identified emerging mechanisms that control the state of tumor dormancy. In this review, we illustrate the latest discoveries on different molecular aspects that contribute to the control of tumor dormancy and distant metastatic relapse, then discuss current treatments affecting minimal residual disease and dormant cancer cells, and finally highlight how novel liquid biopsy based diagnostic methodologies can be integrated into the detection and molecular characterization of minimal residual disease.

U2 - 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.02.001

DO - 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.02.001

M3 - SCORING: Review article

C2 - 33582172

VL - 78

SP - 49

EP - 62

JO - SEMIN CANCER BIOL

JF - SEMIN CANCER BIOL

SN - 1044-579X

ER -