title: Relationship of circulating tumor cells to the effectiveness of cytotoxic chemotherapy in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of the number of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) with the effectiveness of cytotoxic chemotherapy in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We prospectively evaluated CTCs in the peripheral blood of patients with previously untreated metastatic NSCLC. From May 2008 through August 2010, 33 patients (23 men and 10 women; median age, 64 years; range, 46-74 years) were enrolled. All patients received combination chemotherapy with gemcitabine and carboplatin. The CTCs were captured from samples of peripheral blood with a semiautomated system using an antibody against epithelial cell adhesion molecule. Blood samples with one or more CTC per 7.5 ml were defined as positive. Of total 33 patients, 12 (36.4%) had positive CTCs and 5 (15.2%) had five or more CTCs before chemotherapy. There were no differences in response rates to cytotoxic chemotherapy between CTC-positive patients and CTC-negative patients. On the other hand, the rate of progressive disease in cytotoxic chemotherapy was significantly higher in CTC-positive patients (66.7%) than in CTC-negative patients (23.8%, p = 0.02). In conclusion, the number of CTCs could be a useful predictive factor for the effectiveness of cytotoxic chemotherapy in patients with metastatic NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Department of Internal Medicine, Showa University School of Medicine, Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. thirose@med.showa-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Yasunari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oki
authors.forename: Tomohide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Sojiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kusumoto
authors.forename: Hiroo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shirai
authors.forename: Masano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Toshimitsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaoka
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: Tsukasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohnishi
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohmori
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000187:drug effects*; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D003841:Deoxycytidine; D016190:Carboplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine