title: [Detection and clinical value of epithelial cellular adhesion molecule (EpCAM) mRNA positive circulating tumor cells in metastatic breast cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) relying on epithelial cellular adhesion molecule (EpCAM) expression in metastatic breast cancer by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the study,47 metastatic breast cancer patients were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR for detecting EpCAM mRNA. In addition, analyses were carried out for their correlation with patients' clinicopathologic features, response, and the time to progression (TTP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity of EpCAM mRNA in the metastatic breast cancer patients was about 40%. However, the specificity of  EpCAM mRNA for 20 healthy controls was 100%. TTP was calculated, and compared with that between EpCAM mRNA-positive and EpCAM mRNA-negative groups. For the retrospective study, the median TTP was 7.1 months and 11.1 months (P=0.013) for patients with EpCAM mRNA-positive and EpCAM mRNA-negative, respectively, after the first cycle chemotherapy. Moreover, a statistically significant correlation was demonstrated between  EpCAM mRNA and TTP in patients who underwent the first or the second-line chemotherapy (P=0.018), but there was no significance in the patients  pretreated with two or more previous chemotherapy lines (P=0.471).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides evidence of the presence of EpCAM mRNA in  approximately 40% of patients with metastatic breast cancer. There is a strong correlation between EpCAM mRNA results after the first cycle therapy and  TTP in metastatic breast cancer patients, and EpCAM mRNA positive after chemotherapy may predict shorter TTP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100142, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Jian-ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Li-jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Di
authors.forename: Guo-hong
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D012333:RNA, Messenger