Basal-cell carcinoma
In the United States approximately 3 out of 10 caucasians develop a basal-cell carcinoma during their lifetime. This tumor accounts for approximately 70% of non-melanoma skin cancers. In 80 percent of all cases, basal-cell carcinoma affects the skin of head and neck. Furthermore, there appears to be an increase in the incidence of basal-cell cancer of the trunk in recent years.
Breast cancer stem cell
Breast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer among women worldwide, with almost 500 million deaths associated with this cancer type alone. The most commonly used treatment methods for breast cancer include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, many of these treated patients experience disease relapse and metastasis. This aggressive progression and recurrence of this disease has been attributed the presence of a subset of tumor cells known as breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs). These cells possess the abilities of self-renewal and tumor initiation, allowing them to be drivers of metastases and tumor growth. The microenvironment in which these cells reside is filled with residential inflammatory cells that provide the needed signaling cues for BCSC-mediated self-renewal and survival. Furthermore, the production of cytokines allows these cells to escape from the primary tumor and travel through the circulation to distant organs, commencing the process of metastasis. Due to their significant role in driving disease progression, BCSCs represent a new target by which to treat the tumor at the source of metastasis.