The Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) plays a role not
only in tumor metastasis but also in tumor recurrence. This process
is believed to be tightly linked to the presence of Cancer Stem Cells
(CSCs) however, it is still not clear which factors could induce EMT
and how it could be a source for CSCs. It has been demonstrated
that Malignant Pleural Effusion (MPEs) may represent an excellent
source to identify markers and molecular mechanisms involved in
EMT and CSCs development. Growth factors, cell differentiation
markers and molecular adhesion are involved in some of the crucial
neoplastic cell events such as proliferation, metastasis, resistance
to chemotherapy and EMT. In this review, we summarize the current
understanding of which molecular markers can orchestrate EMT and
CSCs in MPEs
