title: Circulating tumor cells in breast cancer and its association with tumor clinicopathological characteristics: a meta-analysis.
abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between tumor clinicopathological characteristics and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in breast cancer. We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, BioMed, and EMbase databases for studies that assessed the association between tumor clinicopathological characteristics and CTCs in breast cancer. Studies obtained from search strategy were screened using pre-specified criteria, and necessary data were retrieved for meta-analysis. Fourteen studies with 2,336 patients were eligible for combined analysis. Presence of CTCs in peripheral blood (PB) was significantly associated with tumor size [OR 0.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.54, 0.87), n = 10, P = 0.002], tumor grade [OR 0.71, 95% CI (0.55, 0.91), n = 8, P = 0.006], ER status [OR 0.72, 95% CI (0.57, 0.91), n = 9, P = 0.007], and PR status [OR 0.78, 95% CI (0.61, 0.98), n = 9, P = 0.04]. However, as to correlation between nodal status and CTCs presence in PB, no statistically significant difference was found [OR 0.83, 95% CI (0.67, 1.03), n = 12, P = 0.10]. The CTCs' presence in PB is correlated with tumor size, tumor grade, ER, and PR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Shu-Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiang-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ming-Jun
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Hua-Long
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Fang-Fang
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D017594:Publication Bias; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011960:Receptors, Estrogen