title: Potential Role of Circulating Tumor Cell Detection and Monitoring in Breast Cancer: A Review of Current Evidence.
abstract: The phenomenon of hematogenous tumor cell dissemination in patients with solid tumors has been extensively explored over the last decades. Breast cancer research investigated at first disseminated tumor cells in the bone marrow; however, the focus soon moved to circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the peripheral blood as blood is easily accessible without an invasive procedure. The prognostic significance of CTC presence has been shown in large studies both in adjuvant and metastatic setting and commercially available detection assays have been evaluated for monitoring in clinical trials. Beyond detection and enumeration of CTCs, the characterization of single tumor cells may enhance our knowledge on disease progression and thus optimize treatment choices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Marienkrankenhaus Hamburg , Hamburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Banys-Paluchowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Duesseldorf , Duesseldorf , Germany.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Krawczyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Duesseldorf , Duesseldorf , Germany.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fehm
keywords: biomarkers; breast cancer; circulating tumor cell; disseminated tumor cell; prognosis