Forscher kartieren unerwünschte Brustkrebszellen, die sich bemerkenswert langsam teilen und jahrzehntelang der Entdeckung entgehen können, und helfen so zu erklären, wie Brustkrebs Jahre nach einer erfolgreichen Behandlung wieder auftreten kann

Hi r/science – sharing this study we’ve published alongside the Garvan Institute of Medical Research: [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-70683-x](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-70683-x)

The study showed that rogue breast cancer cells can reprogramme themselves to divide at a remarkably slow pace, allowing them to form microscopic tumours that silently tick away in distant organs, evading detection for decades.

While relapse is known to be caused by cancer cells lying dormant in the bone or other organs, this new research provides evidence on a parallel pathway by which stealthy cancer cells develop into secondary tumours – findings which could uncover new approaches to prevent metastasis.