EPCAM and neoplasm: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) constitute a minor fraction of the tumor population, characterized by their capacity for self-renewal and differentiation.138,139 A plethora of compelling evidence substantiates that CSCs play a pivotal role in driving tumor initiation, conferring resistance to treatment, facilitating recurrence, and promoting metastasis.140,141 Although CSCs represent a functional cellular state, it has been demonstrated that their identification can be facilitated by utilizing specific cell markers such as CD133, CD44, EPCAM, and ALDH1, among others.142