Breast cancer is a prevalent malignant tumor affecting females, with treatment options including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy.

This review synthesizes existing literature on breast cancer stem cells and their applications in breast cancer treatment. PubMed, Web of Science, and other relevant databases were systematically searched using keywords such as “breast cancer stem cells,” “immunotherapy,” “gene therapy,” and “cell therapy.” Studies published in English were included, and their findings were analyzed to provide insights into the characteristics and therapeutic potential of breast cancer stem cells.

Breast cancer stem cells exhibit unique properties that contribute to tumor initiation, progression, recurrence, and therapy resistance. Immunotherapy targeting breast cancer stem cells shows promise in overcoming these challenges, but issues such as lack of specificity and drug resistance need to be addressed.

Breast cancer stem cells represent promising targets for innovative therapeutic strategies aimed at improving treatment outcomes in breast cancer patients.