Circulating Tumor Cell Clusters in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer: a SWOG S0500 Translational Medicine Study.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Metastasis requires malignant cell circulation from the primary to a distant tissue. Elevated levels of circulating tumor cells (CTC) portend a poor prognosis in breast and other cancers. Recent studies have suggested that CTC clusters may be a factor in the metastatic process. We conducted a prospective retrospective study of the SWOG0500 clinical trial to test whether CTC clusters are associated with poorer prognosis.

Experimental design

CTC CellSearch galleries from SWOG0500 trial were reread using prespecified criteria for CTC clusters, doublets, and enumeration. Survival analysis methods include Kaplan-Meier plots and log-rank tests.

Results

Patients were classified into three prognostic subgroups based on baseline CTC/7.5 mL whole blood (WB): Arm A: <5CT

SUBMITTER: Paoletti C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6801082 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature