The Initial Detection and Partial Characterization of Circulating Tumor Cells in Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

The transition of prostate adenocarcinoma to a predominantly androgen receptor (AR) signaling independent phenotype can occur in the later stages of the disease and is associated with low AR expression +/- the development of small-cell or neuroendocrine tumor characteristics. As metastatic tumor biopsies are not always feasible and are difficult to repeat, we sought to evaluate noninvasive methods to identify patients transitioning toward a neuroendocrine phenotype (NEPC).

Experimental design

We prospectively studied a metastatic tumor biopsy, serum biomarkers, and circulating tumor cells (CTC, Epic Sciences) from patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) including those with pure or mixed NEPC histology present on biopsy. CTCs labeled with the patien

SUBMITTER: Beltran H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4990782 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature