Mario Giuliano, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II; Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine; Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Antonio Giordano, Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of South CarolinaFollow
Summer Jackson, Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Ugo De Giorgi, Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Medical Oncology, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei TumoriMeldola
Michal Mego, Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Department of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, Comenius University
Evan N Cohen, Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterFollow
Hui Gao, Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterFollow
Simone Anfossi, Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterFollow
Beverly C Handy, Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Naoto T Ueno, Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterFollow
Ricardo H Alvarez, Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Sabino De Placido, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II
Vicente Valero, Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Gabriel N Hortobagyi, Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
James M Reuben, Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterFollow
Massimo Cristofanilli, Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-16-2014

Comments

This article has been peer reviewed. It is the author’s final published version in Breast Cancer Research Volume 16, Issue 5, September 2014, Article number 440.

The published version is available at DOI: 10.1186/s13058-014-0440-8. Copyright © BioMed Central

Abstract

IntroductionTraditional factors currently used for prognostic stratification do not always predict adequately treatment response and disease evolution in advanced breast cancer patients. Therefore, the use of blood-based markers, such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs), represents a promising complementary strategy for disease monitoring. In this retrospective study, we explored the role of CTC counts as predictors of disease evolution in breast cancer patients with limited metastatic dissemination.Methods492 advanced breast cancer patients who had a CTC count assessed by CellSearch prior to starting a new line of systemic therapy were eligible for this analysis. Using the threshold of 5 cells/7.5 mL of blood, pretreatment CTC counts were correlated in the overall population with metastatic site distribution, evaluated at baseline and at the time of treatment failure, using the Fisher¿s Exact test. Time to visceral progression, as well as, time to the development of new metastatic lesions and sites were estimated in patients with non-visceral metastases and with single-site metastatic disease, respectively, by the Kaplan-Meier method. Survival times were compared among groups according to pretreatment CTC count by log-Rank test.ResultsIn the overall population, pretreatment CTCs¿¿¿5 were associated with increased baseline number of metastatic sites, compared with CTCs¿

PubMed ID

25223629

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