Tumor-derived proliferative CTCs and CTC clusters predict aggressiveness and early recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), an indispensable liquid biopsy classifier, can provide extra information for the diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

We systematically analyzed the peripheral blood of preoperative HCC patients (n = 270) for CTC number, Ki67 index reflecting the proliferative CTC percentage (PCP), and CTC clusters correlated with the characteristics of malignant HCC tumors.

Results

Driver gene mutations were found with high levels of consistency between CTCs and primary tumors (n = 73). CTC number and PCP were associated with tumor size, microvascular invasion (MVI), presence or absence of multiple tumors, and thrombosis significantly. CTC number and PCP robustly separated patients with and without relapse, with

SUBMITTER: Zhao L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10358265 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature