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Intestinal stem cells (ISCs) and colorectal cancer (CRC) biology are tightly linked in many aspects. It is generally thought that ISCs are the cells of origin for a large proportion of CRCs and crucial ISC-associated signalling pathways are often affected in CRCs. Moreover, CRCs are thought to retain a cellular hierarchy that is reminiscent of the intestinal epithelium. Recent studies offer quantitative insights into the dynamics of ISC behaviour that govern homeostasis and thereby provide the necessary baseline parameters to begin to apply these analyses during the various stages of tumour development.