Dick's model of cancer stem cells

Dick's model of cancer stem cells suggests that within a tumor, only a small subset of cells—called cancer stem cells—have the ability to self-renew and drive the growth and spread of cancer. These cells are similar to normal stem cells but are abnormal, giving rise to all other cancer cells in the tumor. While most cancer cells are more differentiated and have limited ability to grow, cancer stem cells can survive treatments and cause relapse. Understanding this hierarchy helps in developing therapies that target these root cells to more effectively eliminate the cancer.