Clinical Significance of Circulating Tumor Cells in Hormone Receptor-positive Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients who Received Letrozole with or Without Bevacizumab.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

We evaluated the prognostic and predictive value of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) hormone receptor-positive (HR⁺) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients randomized to letrozole alone or letrozole plus bevacizumab in the first-line setting (CALGB 40503).

Experimental design

Blood samples were collected at pretreatment and three additional time points during therapy. The presence of ≥5 CTCs per 7.5 mL of blood was considered CTC positive. Association of CTCs with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was assessed using Cox regression models.

Results

Of 343 patients treated, 294 had CTC data and were included in this analysis. Median follow-up was 39 months. In multivariable analysis, CTC-positive patients at baseline (31%) had si

SUBMITTER: Magbanua MJM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7501177 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature