title: Prognostic relevance of disseminated tumor cells in the bone marrow of patients with primary breast cancer--results of a standardized follow-up.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prognostic significance of disseminated tumor cells from bone marrow (BM-DTCs) of breast cancer patients has been demonstrated previously. In this study, data of a standardized long term follow-up of 829 patients with examination of BM-DTCs at primary diagnosis are presented.
  
  
  METHODS
  BM aspiration and immunocytochemical examination of DTCs was performed according to a standardized protocol. Follow-up data of all patients were adjusted with the cancer registries of southern Bavaria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 268 patients (32%) had BM-DTCs with a median of 2 (1-1223)/2 x 10⁶ cells. Positive BM findings correlated with tumor size (p=0.032), but not with other histopathological parameters. After a median follow-up of 73 months, BM-DTCs were highly relevant for the development of distant metastases (p=0.006) and, beneath standard histological parameters, reduced overall survival (p=0.038).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results confirm the prognostic relevance of the detection of BM-DTCs. Newer methods, such as detection of circulating tumor cells in blood, will have to demonstrate comparable prognostic information in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Klinikum Traunstein, Cuno-Niggl-Str. 3, D-83278 Traunstein, Germany. Christian.Schindlbeck@klinikum-traunstein.de
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schindlbeck
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pfab
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jueckstock
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Andergassen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Janni
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Friese
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rack
mesh_terms: D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis