Data from literature are conflicting concerning the question whether impaired DNA repair might explain genomic instability in CSC
In general, CSCs are considered to harbor high potential to repair DNA damage under inflammation and ROS in the tumor micro-environment. On the other hand, given that some kinds of tumors arise from CSCs with accumulation of genetic mutations, the genomic instability in CSCs is likely as compared with non-CSCs. In my opinion, the potential of DNA repair in CSCs might be different each other at the carcinogenesis and during the tumor development including invasion/ metastasis and relapse. I mean that pre-malignant cells with higher genomic instability would be CSCs, and furthermore, CSCs later acquire rapid DNA damage repair potential.
Although I havent seen a manuscript of higher genomic instability in cancer stem cells, given that CSC and Non-CSC are interconvertible, the genomic instability does not seem to be very different. Further interconversion happens in a few days (2-8 days depending on the assay) which in my opinion is not enoughf time for acquisition of genomic instability. In a way, I do second the answer by Yoshida. The difference potentially is "epigenetic".
Please check this review from CELL PRESS (2014) BY Prof. John Dick-one of the pioneer of CSCs field.
I do agree with the points raised by Yoshida......
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