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Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women worldwide, representing approximately 25% of new cases and 15% of deaths from all cancers. While surgery and recent advances in radiotherapy and chemotherapy have improved survival, a significant proportion of patients diagnosed with early-stage or locally invasive breast cancer eventually present with metastatic disease. The presence of tumor-initiating and tumor-sustaining breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) plays a significant role at multiple levels, including tumor progression, metastasis, acquired resistance to therapies, and tumor recurrence; therefore, the development of new therapeutic advances that support the specific ablation of CSCs represents an exciting prospect for breast cancer treatment.1 The surgical procedures currently associated with breast cancer treatment can also entail serious adverse effects on patient health; these include damage to the lymph system and the associated build-up of fluid in soft body tissues (lymphedema).2 Conventional treatment options are time-consuming and costly; however, preclinical studies have provided evidence that stem cell-based therapies may represent a potentially safe and effective means of alleviating breast cancer-related lymphedema.3 In the first of our Featured Articles published this month in STEM CELLS, Luo et al demonstrate that treatment with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) can suppress the self-renewal and proliferation of breast CSCs by downregulating the aberrant expression of lipogenic enzymes.4 In a Related Article published recently in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, Jørgensen et al reported on the results of a long-term, open-label, phase I study suggesting the safety and feasibility of adipose-derived regenerative cells and lipotransfer in the alleviation of breast cancer-related lymphedema.5

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