Circulating tumor cells at each follow-up time point during therapy of metastatic breast cancer patients predict progression-free and overall survival.

Daniel F. Hayes, Massimo Cristofanilli, G. Thomas Budd, Matthew J. Ellis, Alison Stopeck, M. Craig Miller, Jeri Matera, W. Jeffrey Allard, Gerald V. Doyle, Leon W.W.M. Terstappen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

899 Scopus citations

Abstract

PURPOSE: We reported previously that >or=5 circulating tumor cells (CTC) in 7.5 mL blood at baseline and at first follow-up in 177 patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) were associated with poor clinical outcome. In this study, additional follow-up data and CTC levels at subsequent follow-up visits were evaluated. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: CTCs were enumerated in 177 MBC patients before the initiation of a new course of therapy (baseline) and 3 to 5, 6 to 8, 9 to 14, and 15 to 20 weeks after the initiation of therapy. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) times were calculated from the dates of each follow-up blood draw. Kaplan-Meier plots and survival analyses were done using a threshold of >or=5 CTCs/7.5 mL at each blood draw. RESULTS: Median PFS times for patients with <5 CTC from each of the five blood draw time points were 7.0, 6.1, 5.6, 7.0, and 6.0 months, respectively. For patients with >or=5 CTC, median PFS from these same time points was significantly shorter: 2.7, 1.3, 1.4, 3.0, and 3.6 months, respectively. Median OS for patients with <5 CTC from the five blood draw time points was all >18.5 months. For patients with >or=5 CTC, median OS from these same time points was significantly shorter: 10.9, 6.3, 6.3, 6.6, and 6.7 months, respectively. Median PFS and OS times at baseline and up to 9 to 14 weeks after the initiation of therapy were statistically significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Detection of elevated CTCs at any time during therapy is an accurate indication of subsequent rapid disease progression and mortality for MBC patients.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)4218-4224
Number of pages7
JournalClinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research
Volume12
Issue number14 Pt 1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 15 2006

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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