Selective gene-expression profiling of migratory tumor cells in vivo predicts clinical outcome in breast cancer patients.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Metastasis of breast cancer is the main cause of death in patients. Previous genome-wide studies have identified gene-expression patterns correlated with cancer patient outcome. However, these were derived mostly from whole tissue without respect to cell heterogeneity. In reality, only a small subpopulation of invasive cells inside the primary tumor is responsible for escaping and initiating dissemination and metastasis. When whole tissue is used for molecular profiling, the expression pattern of these cells is masked by the majority of the noninvasive tumor cells. Therefore, little information is available about the crucial early steps of the metastatic cascade: migration, invasion, and entry of tumor cells into the systemic circulation.

Methods

In the past, we

SUBMITTER: Patsialou A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4053118 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature