title: Circulating endothelial cells in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with carboplatin and paclitaxel.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Circulating endothelial cells (CECs) increase in cancer patients and play an important role in tumor neovascularization.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was designed to investigate the role of CEC as a marker for predicting the effectiveness of a carboplatin plus paclitaxel based first line chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CEC count in 4 ml of peripheral blood before starting chemotherapy (baseline value) was significantly higher in NSCLC patients, ranging from 32 to 4501/4 ml (n = 31, mean +/- SD = 595 +/- 832), than in healthy volunteers (n = 53, 46.2 +/- 86.3). We did not detect a significant correlation between the CEC count and estimated tumor volume. CECs were significantly decreased by chemotherapy as compared with pretreatment values (175.6 +/- 24 and 173.0 +/- 24, day +8, +22, respectively). We investigated the correlation between baseline CEC and the clinical effectiveness of chemotherapy. CEC values are significantly higher in patients with clinical benefit (partial response and stable disease, 516 +/- 458, 870.8 +/- 1215, respectively) than in progressive disease patients (211 +/- 150). Furthermore, a statistically significant decrease in CECs, on day 22, was observed only in patients with partial response. Patients who had a baseline CEC count greater than 400/4 ml showed a longer progression-free survival (>400, 271 days [range: 181-361] versus <400, 34 [range: 81-186], p = 0.019).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CEC is suggested to be a promising predictive marker of the clinical efficacy of the CBDCA plus paclitaxel regimen in patients with NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Shien-Lab, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawaishi
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Tomoya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: Terufumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohe
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kunitoh
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sekine
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nokihara
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watabe
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimoda
authors.forename: Tokuzo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arao
authors.forename: Kazuto
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishio
authors.forename: Tomohide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Koizumi
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel