title: Review: circulating tumor cells in the practice of breast cancer oncology.
abstract: The primary cause of tumor-related death in breast cancer is still represented by distant metastasization. The dissemination of tumor cells from the primary tumor to distant sites through bloodstream cannot be early detected by standard imaging methods. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play a major role in the metastatic spread of breast cancer. Different analytical systems for CTCs isolation and detection have been developed and novel areas of research are directed towards developing assays for CTCs molecular characterization. This review describes the current state of art on CTCs detection techniques and the present and future clinical implications of CTCs enumeration and characterization.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Dr. Esquerdo 46, 28007, Madrid, Spain. 1983rrm@gmail.com.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramos-Medina
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Service, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lopez-Tarruella
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Service, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Monte-Millán
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Service, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Márquez-Rodas
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Dr. Esquerdo 46, 28007, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Durán
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Service, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jerez
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Garcia-Saenz
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Dr. Esquerdo 46, 28007, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ocaña
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Dr. Esquerdo 46, 28007, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andrés
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Unit, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Massarrah
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Dr. Esquerdo 46, 28007, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González-Rivera
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Dr. Esquerdo 46, 28007, Madrid, Spain.|Medical Oncology Service, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
keywords: Circulating tumor cells; Clinical applications; Detection; Enumeration; Markers