title: Using CTCs for pharmacogenomic analysis.
abstract: In the era of precision medicine in oncology, pharmacogenomic assessment is a vital step in delivering personalized care. Increasing evidence points towards the importance of assessing molecular features of the advanced disease, rather than relying on the primary tumor sample, in order to appreciate the evolution of the tumor and to target relevant features. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) represent a novel method of tumor sampling, as they offer a contemporaneous picture of the current disease state without the need for invasive needle biopsy. As they may derive from any number of metastatic sites, the potential to capture the heterogeneity of the disease is increased. Improvements in CTC capture, enrichment and isolation technology now allow sophisticated interrogation of these cells, such that pharmacogenomic assessment of CTCs is now possible, and the clinical potential is being explored. We review current and potential uses for CTCs for pharmacogenomic analysis.
authors.affiliation: Sandro Pitigliani Medical Oncology Department, Hospital of Prato, Via Suor Niccolina 20, Prato 59100, Italy; Breast Cancer Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Via Suor Niccolina 20, Prato 59100, Italy.
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.affiliation: Breast Cancer Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Via Suor Niccolina 20, Prato 59100, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galardi
authors.affiliation: Sandro Pitigliani Medical Oncology Department, Hospital of Prato, Via Suor Niccolina 20, Prato 59100, Italy; Breast Cancer Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Via Suor Niccolina 20, Prato 59100, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pestrin
authors.affiliation: Breast Cancer Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Via Suor Niccolina 20, Prato 59100, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.affiliation: Sandro Pitigliani Medical Oncology Department, Hospital of Prato, Via Suor Niccolina 20, Prato 59100, Italy; Breast Cancer Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Via Suor Niccolina 20, Prato 59100, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Risi
authors.affiliation: Sandro Pitigliani Medical Oncology Department, Hospital of Prato, Via Suor Niccolina 20, Prato 59100, Italy; Breast Cancer Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Via Suor Niccolina 20, Prato 59100, Italy. Electronic address: adileo@uslcentro.toscana.it.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Leo
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D000071185:Pharmacogenomic Testing / Q000379:methods*; D057285:Precision Medicine / Q000379:methods
keywords: Biomarker; Circulating tumor cell; Liquid biopsy; Metastasis; Pharmacogenomics; Tumor