Prognostic impact of circulating tumor cell apoptosis and clusters in serial blood samples from patients with metastatic breast cancer in a prospective observational cohort.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is a validated prognostic marker in metastatic breast cancer. Additional prognostic information may be obtained by morphologic characterization of CTCs. We explored whether apoptotic CTCs, CTC clusters and leukocytes attached to CTCs are associated with breast cancer subtype and prognosis at base-line (BL) and in follow-up (FU) blood samples in patients with metastatic breast cancer scheduled for first-line systemic treatment.

Methods

Patients with a first metastatic breast cancer event were enrolled in a prospective observational study prior to therapy initiation and the CellSearch system (Janssen Diagnostics) was used for CTC enumeration and characterization. We enrolled patients (N = 52) with ≥5 CTC/7.5 ml blood at BL

SUBMITTER: Jansson S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4938919 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature