[Circulating endothelial cells in the peripheral blood of advanced NSCLC patients].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the changes and clinical value of circulating endothelial cells (CEC) in the peripheral blood of advanced NSCLC patient.


METHODS
Sixty-seven advanced NSCLC patients were randomly divided into either the treatment group with NP plus endostatin or control group with NP alone. Level of CEC and cytokeratin (CK) in the peripheral blood were measured by flow cytometry.


RESULTS
The response rate and benefit rate was 44.4%, 80.0% in the treatment group, and 27.3%, 50.0% in the control group, respectively (P = 0.176 and P = 0.012). Time to tumor progression (TTP) was 146.7 days in the treatment group and 91.1 days in the control group (P = 0.061). However, when the cut-off of TTP was defined as > 170 days, there was a significant difference between two groups (cut-off = 170, P = 0.034; cut-off = 180, P = 0.009). The number of CEC decreased by 0.29 +/- 0.47 in the treatment group and by 0.01 +/- 0.43 in the control group (P = 0.033). The correlation between CEC and CK was found to be positive either before (r = 0.381, P = 0.013) or after the treatment (r = 0.450, P = 0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
Chemotherapy combined with endostatin is superior to chemotherapy alone in the treatment of NSCLC. CEC, as a biomarker, may be useful in predicting the efficacy of the combined treatment.
Huang
Chun
C
Department of Medical Oncology, Tianjin Cancer Institute & Hospital Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300060, China.
Li
Kai
K
Wei
Xi-Yin
XY
Niu
Rui-Fang
RF
Sun
Yan
Y
Wang
Jin-Wan
JW
Zhu
Yun-Zhong
YZ
Xu
Li-Yan
LY
Liu
Xiao-Qing
XQ
Gao
Hong-Jun
HJ
Zhou
Jing-Min
JM
Wang
Xiu-Wen
XW
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D002452:Cell Count; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D043169:Endostatins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000097:blood; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D012074:Remission Induction; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000077235:Vinorelbine
D043169:Endostatins; D014747:Vinblastine; D007633:Keratins; D002945:Cisplatin; D000077235:Vinorelbine