In the present study, BCSCs isolated from human breast cancer specimens were transduced with MRI (human ferritin heavy chain, FTH) and fluorescence (enhanced green fluorescence protein, EGFP) dual reporter genes and transplanted into nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice to noninvasively track BCSC-derived populations during tumor growth and monitor tumor responses after chemotherapy. The gene discussed is FTH1; the disease is breast cancer.