title: Detection of circulating tumor cells in advanced head and neck cancer using the CellSearch system.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) offers the possibility of improved outcome for patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with advanced-stage HNSCC (stage III/IV) were tested for CTCs using the CellSearch system (a registered trade name), which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for monitoring CTCs in other cancers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CTCs were detected in 6 of 15 patients with advanced-stage HNSCC (range, 1-2 cells/7.5 mL of blood). CTCs were significantly associated with patients with lung nodules >1 cm (p = .04). There was also a suggestion of improved survival in the CTC-negative versus the CTC-positive patients (p = .11).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CTCs can be successfully isolated in patients with advanced-stage HNSCC using the CellSearch system. CTC detection may be important for prognosis, evaluating treatment outcome, and for determining efficacy of adjuvant treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Anthony.Nichols@lhsc.on.ca
authors.forename: Anthony C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: Lori E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Lowes
authors.forename: Christopher C T
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Szeto
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Basmaji
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dhaliwal
authors.forename: Corina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chapeskie
authors.forename: Biljana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Todorovic
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Read
authors.forename: Varugar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Venkatesan
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Winquist
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Jason H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koropatnick
authors.forename: Joe S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Mymryk
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: Alison L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Allan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000556:secondary*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000295:instrumentation; D018450:Disease Progression; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured