title: Circulating tumor cells and cardiac metastasis from esophageal cancer: a case report.
abstract: We report the case of a 67-year-old man affected by metastatic esophageal cancer. The patient developed a symptomatic heart metastasis presenting as mimicking ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) documented the presence of a mass in the apex and septum of the left ventriculum. The dissemination of cancer was confirmed by the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the peripheral blood, measured by the CellSearch System (Veridex, LLC, Raritan, N.J., USA). The blood sample drawn at cardiac disease progression revealed the presence of 2 CTCs per 7.5 ml of blood. This report highlights the potential role of CTCs as markers of metastatic spread.
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, Beretta Foundation, Azienda Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy.
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Consoli
authors: Giuseppina
authors: G
authors: Arcangeli
authors: Vittorio
authors: V
authors: Ferrari
authors: Salvatore
authors: S
authors: Grisanti
authors: Camillo
authors: C
authors: Almici
authors: Tania
authors: T
authors: Bordonali
authors: Edda
authors: E
authors: Simoncini