CANCER CELLS KILLED FOR GOOD

A PIONEERING new strategy could prevent breast cancer from recurring, improving patients' chances of survival, a new study found.

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Even after treatment, so-called “sleeper cells” — dormant cancer cells continue to lie in wait in some women. Dubbed minimal residual disease, these cells can reactivate years or even decades later. Because they are not “active” cancer cells and can be scattered throughout the body, they can’t be detected on standard imaging tests.

When these sleeper cells begin to expand and circulate in the bloodstream, they can cause cancer to spread throughout the body.