The newspaper El Periódico de Catalunya, in its ‘health’ section, has published an article on the work of Eduard Batlle, coordinator of the Oncology Programme at IRB Barcelona. Colon cancer, which has a high prevalence in the western world, is treated by surgically removing the affected part of the colon. However, in 35% of the cases the cancer reappears in another part of the body (usually in the liver). This reappearance is due to the fact that a single cancer cell, which has acquired stem cell characteristics, has escaped into the bloodstream and spread through the body. Batlle says that studying whether a patient’s cancer cells have typical stem cells genes activated or not can predict the future behaviour of the cancer.

• Read the news (PDF)
• El Periódico de Catalunya Online