Comparison of Tumor Cells in Breast Cancer Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Slade M J, Payne R, Riethdorf S, Ward B, Zaidi S A A, Stebbing J, Palmieri C, Sinnett H D, Kulinskaya E, Pitfield T, McCormack R T, Pantel K, Coombes R C
Primary Institution: Imperial College
Hypothesis
Do primary breast cancer patients show evidence of circulating tumor cells during follow-up as an alternative to monitoring disseminated bone marrow tumor cells?
Conclusion
A significant proportion of poor prognosis primary breast cancer patients have evidence of circulating tumor cells on follow-up.
Supporting Evidence
- 39% of low-risk patients had circulating tumor cells.
- 70% of high-risk patients had circulating tumor cells.
- 8% of low-risk patients had disseminated tumor cells.
- 70% of high-risk patients had disseminated tumor cells.
- 30% of high-risk patients showed no evidence of circulating tumor cells.
Takeaway
This study looked at breast cancer patients to see if they had tumor cells in their blood after treatment. It found that many patients at higher risk had these cells, which could help doctors monitor their health better.
Methodology
Patients were tested for circulating tumor cells using the CellSearch system and for disseminated tumor cells by immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR over a period of 2 years.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the small number of patients and the specific selection criteria for low and high-risk groups.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and was limited to specific patient cohorts.
Participant Demographics
The study included 51 primary breast cancer patients, with 18 in the low-risk group and 33 in the high-risk group.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.042
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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