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Circulating Tumor Cells in Breast Cancer

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Tumor Liquid Biopsies

Part of the book series: Recent Results in Cancer Research ((RECENTCANCER,volume 215))

Abstract

With active screening for early detection and advancements in treatment, there has been a significant decrease in mortality from breast cancer. However, a significant proportion of patients with non-metastatic breast cancer at time of diagnosis will relapse. Therefore, it is suggested that the dissemination of bloodstream tumor cells (circulating tumor cells, CTCs) undetectable by currently available diagnostic tools occurs during the early stages of breast cancer progression, and may be the potential source of micrometastases responsible for treatment failures. Here, we review the clinical significance of CTCs, as detected by the FDA-approved CellSearch® System, in both metastatic and non-metastatic breast cancer patients. Studies so far suggest that CTCs are prognostic of poorer outcomes in breast cancer patients; however, there is currently insufficient data to support use of CTC data to guide treatment. Therefore, there are ongoing studies to evaluate the utility of assessing CTC phenotypes to develop personalized breast cancer treatment, which will be reviewed in this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, 1400 Pressler Street, FCT7.6000, Unit 1484, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Diana H. Liang, Carolyn Hall & Anthony Lucci

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  1. Diana H. Liang
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  2. Carolyn Hall
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  3. Anthony Lucci
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Correspondence to Anthony Lucci .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cancéropôle Est , Strasbourg, France

    Florence Schaffner

  2. Institut de Cancérologie de Lorraine, CNRS UMR7039 CRAN, Université de Lorraine, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France

    Jean-Louis Merlin

  3. Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Center, University of Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany

    Nikolas von Bubnoff

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Liang, D.H., Hall, C., Lucci, A. (2020). Circulating Tumor Cells in Breast Cancer. In: Schaffner, F., Merlin, JL., von Bubnoff, N. (eds) Tumor Liquid Biopsies. Recent Results in Cancer Research, vol 215. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26439-0_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26439-0_7

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