Detection and prognostic relevance of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in Asian breast cancers using a label-free microfluidic platform.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

We aimed to study the prevalence of CTCs in breast cancer (BC) patients undergoing neoadjuvant or palliative therapy with a label-free microfluidic platform (ClearCell FX), and its prognostic relevance in metastatic BC (mBC).

Materials and methods

Peripheral blood samples were collected from 108 BC patients before starting a new line of treatment ("baseline"), majority of whom had mBC (76/108; 70.4%). CTCs were retrieved by dean flow fractionation that enriched for larger cells, and enumerated using immunofluorescence-based staining. Progression-free survival (PFS) in mBC patients was analysed using Kaplan-Meier method; cox proportional hazard models were used for univariable and multivariable analyses.

Results

The detection rate of CTCs before starting a n

SUBMITTER: Yap YS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6760773 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature