Circulating tumor cells predict survival in early average-to-high risk breast cancer patients.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been shown to predict reduced survival outcomes in metastatic breast cancer.

Methods

CTCs were analyzed in 2026 patients with early breast cancer before adjuvant chemotherapy and in 1492 patients after chemotherapy using the CellSearch System. After immuno-magnetic enrichment for cells expressing the epithelial-cell adhesion molecule, CTCs were defined as nucleated cells expressing cytokeratin and lacking CD45. The patients were followed for a median of 35 months (range = 0-54). Kaplan-Meier analyses and the log-rank test were used for survival analyses. All statistical tests were two-sided.

Results

Before chemotherapy, CTCs were detected in 21.5% of patients (n = 435 of 2026), with 19.6% (n = 136 of 692) of node-negative

SUBMITTER: Rack B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4112925 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature