title: Evaluation of Circulating Tumor Cells in Predicting Therapeutic Response in Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have prognostic significance in patients with metastatic cancer, but their utility in predicting the response to tumor therapy is unknown. This study examined the correlation of CTCs with the therapeutic response in small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical and pathological data from 96 SCLC patients were evaluated in this study. CellSearch kits were used to detect CTCs in peripheral blood samples. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher exact test and Mann-Whitney U test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, 47 (50.0%) SCLC patients had detectable CTC counts. Serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) was found to be associated with CTC thresholds. However, no significant differences were observed for an association of any threshold CTC count with the treatment response, with gender, age (≤60 or >60 years), smoking status, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH), or Ki67 expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Detection of CTCs in SCLC patients was associated with serum NSE but not with response to cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Stem Cell Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, PR China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Stem Cell Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, PR China.
authors.forename: Kewei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Stem Cell Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, PR China.
authors.forename: Yizhuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Stem Cell Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, PR China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Stem Cell Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, PR China; Stanford University Medical School, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California. Electronic address: Jifan@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Ji-Fan
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Stem Cell Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, PR China. Electronic address: jdyylw@163.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000097:blood; D011379:Prognosis; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012907:Smoking
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase
keywords: Circulating tumor cells; Neuron-specific enolase; SCLC; Therapeutic response