The role of stem tumor cells in caricogenesis and the forecast of melanoma

Summary Despite the significant advances in modern medicine in the early diagnosis of cancer, melanoma of the skin remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide: every third case of melanoma ends with a rapid fatal outcome. The high frequency of progression is one of the main problems in the treatment of melanoma, since it is resistant to traditional types of drug treatment. Recent studies have found that the growth and progression of many types of malignant tumors, including melanomas, is due to small subpopulations of cells called cancer stem cells (CSC). CSCs on their surface carry specific markers, the expression of which may be non-permanent and depends on factors of the microenvironment. Therefore, the study of the peculiarities of the CSCs phenotype and their microenvironment allows us to understand the processes of melanogenesis and to find possible ways of influencing the CSCs in order to overcome the drug resistance of melanoma. 102 This article is devoted to a review of the theoretical background and practical results of research on the role of tumor stem cells in the carcinogenesis of skin melanoma. The analysis of current literature data on the significance of tumor stem cells as a prognostic factor and as a potential target of therapy for melanoma has been carried out.