Disseminated tumor cells: are they ready for clinical use?
During the past three decades, efforts successfully established the presence of disseminated tumor cells (DTC) in bone marrow as a prognostic factor. These works were comprehensively evaluated in a pooled analysis that now permits to classify the prognostic significance of DTC as level I evidence. Intriguing molecular data suggest a role for tumor stem cells possibly responsible for the prognostic impact of DTC. In a typical clinical setting of the year 2007, DTC--irrespectively of the strong prognostic significance--would only have a convincing clinical application if DTC were a surrogate marker for treatment efficacy. Consequently, this important question is to be addressed in well-designed clinical trials.
Braun
Stephan
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria. stephan.braun@uklibk.ac.at
Vogl
Florian D
FD
Schneitter
Alois
A
Egle
Daniel
D
Auer
Doris
D
Lang
Margarete
M
Marth
Christian
C
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019046:Bone Marrow Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor