World J Clin Oncol. Jul 24, 2026; 17(7): 119673 Published online Jul 24, 2026. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v17.i7.119673
Prognostic significance of stem cell markers: In triple-negative breast cancers
Sunil V Jagtap, Shubham S Jagtap
Sunil V Jagtap, Department of Pathology, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Karad 415110, Maharashtra, India
Shubham S Jagtap, Department of Medicine, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Karad 415110, Maharashtra, India
Co-first authors: Sunil V Jagtap and Shubham S Jagtap.
Author contributions: Jagtap SV contributed to the work equally and co-first authors of this manuscript; Jagtap SV and Jagtap SS conceived the review and drafted the initial manuscript, made substantial contributions to this manuscript, were responsible for literature collation, edited and finalized the manuscript for submission, thus qualified as the co-first authors of the paper; and all authors reviewed and approved the submitted manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Sunil V Jagtap, Professor, Department of Pathology, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Malkapur, Karad 415110, Maharashtra, India. drsvjagtap@gmail.com
Received: February 14, 2026 Revised: March 4, 2026 Accepted: April 27, 2026 Published online: July 24, 2026 Processing time: 171 Days and 19.2 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer characterized by absence of estrogen, progesteron and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 expressions. TNBC exhibit cancer stem cell (CSC)-like properties at functional, molecular, and transcriptional levels. Stemness markers described across different histological subtypes include CD44, CD24, CD133, ALDH1 and ABCG2. These markers have prognostic and predictive value in TNBC, as their expression has been associated with increased tumor aggressiveness, chemoresistance, poor prognosis, lack of effective targeted therapies and unfavorable clinical outcomes. Recent studies on CSC markers in TNBC highlight their potential as new prognostic biomarkers and targeted therapies.
