title: Treatment of advanced solid tumours with NSAIDs: Correlation of quantitative monitoring of circulating tumour cells and positron emission tomography-computed tomography imaging.
abstract: The detection and characterisation of tumour-derived circulating epithelial tumor cells (CETCs) or circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been a main focus of basic oncological research over previous years. Numerous studies in the past decade have shown that CTCs are a promising tool for the estimation of the risk for metastatic relapse. The present observational study describes treatment results using tumour imaging and the quantification of CTCs. A group of 14 patients with advanced carcinomas was followed during their anticancer treatments. CTC numbers were serially detected and treatment success was estimated by positron emission tomography-computed tomography. A connection was found between tumour remission and a decreasing CTC count in 83%, a connection between stable disease and stable CTC numbers in 78% and a connection between progressive disease (PD) and an increase in CTC count in 50% of cases. In the patients with PD, an incomplete response was observed affecting the CTCs, but not the solid region of the tumour. As a result of this study, it may be concluded that patients with solid tumours benefit from serial quantification of CTCs in addition to imaging, as this combination of techniques provides a more sensitive result than imaging alone.
authors: Transfusion Medical Centre Bayreuth, D-95448 Bayreuth, Germany.
authors: Regina
authors: R
authors: Willecke-Hochmuth
authors: Transfusion Medical Centre Bayreuth, D-95448 Bayreuth, Germany.
authors: Katharina
authors: K
authors: Pachmann
authors: UNIFONTIS Clinic, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors: Joachim
authors: J
authors: Drevs
keywords: chemosensitivity testing; circulating tumour cells; diflunisal; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; positron emission tomography-computed tomography; salicylates; solid tumours