Heterogeneity of Circulating Tumor Cell-Associated Genomic Gains in Breast Cancer and Its Association with the Host Immune Response.

ABSTRACT: Tumor cells that preferentially enter circulation include the precursors of metastatic cancer. Previously, we characterized circulating tumor cells (CTC) from patients with breast cancer and identified a signature of genomic regions with recurrent copy-number gains. Through FISH, we now show that these CTC-associated regions are detected within the matched untreated primary tumors of these patients (21% to 69%, median 55.5%, n = 19). Furthermore, they are more prevalent in the metastases of patients who died from breast cancer after multiple rounds of treatment (70% to 100%, median 93%, samples n = 41). Diversity indices revealed that higher spatial heterogeneity for these regions within primary tumors is associated with increased dissemination and metastasis. An identified s

SUBMITTER: Kanwar N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9397625 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature