title: Circulating tumor cells in the management of breast cancer.
abstract: Most deaths from breast cancer are from metastatic disease. Tests that predict an individual's risk of developing metastatic disease could be useful. There is growing evidence that circulating tumor cells (CTC) could help predict recurrence and effectiveness of therapy. However, there are unresolved issues with CTC detection methods and their implementation in the community. The utility of CTC testing in the management of breast cancer is unclear based on current studies. This article reviews the role of CTC testing in the management of early and metastatic breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Internal Medicine and Health Care Research, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Govardhanan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nagaiah
authors.forename: Jame
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abraham
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating