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Prevalence and number of circulating tumour cells and microemboli at diagnosis of advanced NSCLC

  • Original Article – Cancer Research
  • Published:
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Timing and magnitude of blood release of circulating tumour cells (CTC) and circulating tumour microemboli (CTM) from primary solid cancers are uncertain. We investigated prevalence and number of CTC and CTM at diagnosis of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

Twenty-eight consecutive patients with suspected stage III–IV lung cancer gave consent to provide 15 mL of peripheral blood soon before diagnostic CT-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). CTC and CTM (clusters of ≥3 CTC) were isolated by cell size filtration (ScreenCell), identified and counted by cytopathologists using morphometric criteria and (in 6 cases) immunostained for vimentin.

Results

FNAB demonstrated NSCLC in 26 cases. At least one CTC/3 mL blood (mean 6.8 ± 3.7) was detected in 17 (65 %) and one CTM (mean 4.5 ± 3.3) in 15 (58 %) of 26 NSCLC cases. No correlation between number of CTC or CTM and tumour type or stage was observed. Neoplastic cells from both FNA and CTC/CTM were positive for vimentin but heterogeneously.

Conclusions

CTC can be detected in two-thirds and CTM in more than half of patients with advanced NSCLC at diagnosis. Reasons underlying lack of CTC and CTM in some advanced lung cancers deserve further investigations.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Ente CR Firenze and Regione Toscana (“CYTOPEM” POR CREO FESR 2007–2013).

Funding

This study was funded by Ente CR Firenze and Regione Toscana (Grant “CYTOPEM” POR CREO FESR 2007–2013).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Units, “Mario Serio” Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 50, 50134, Florence, Italy

    Mario Mascalchi, Massimo Falchini, Marco Nistri, Elena Bertelli, Lapo Sali & Stefania Zuccherelli

  2. Oncological Prevention Laboratory, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute (ISPO), Florence, Italy

    Cristina Maddau & Marzia Matucci

  3. Clinical Biochemistry Unit, “Mario Serio” Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

    Francesca Salvianti, Pamela Pinzani & Mario Pazzagli

  4. Nuclear Medicine Unit, Le Scotte University Hospital, Siena, Italy

    Alessandra Vella

  5. Division of Thoracic Surgery, Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy

    Luca Voltolini

  6. Division of Pneumonology, Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy

    Andrea Lopes Pegna

  7. Endocrinology Unit, “Mario Serio” Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

    Michaela Luconi

Authors
  1. Mario Mascalchi
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  2. Massimo Falchini
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  3. Cristina Maddau
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  4. Francesca Salvianti
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  9. Alessandra Vella
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  10. Marzia Matucci
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  11. Luca Voltolini
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  13. Michaela Luconi
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  15. Mario Pazzagli
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Correspondence to Mario Mascalchi.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Mascalchi, M., Falchini, M., Maddau, C. et al. Prevalence and number of circulating tumour cells and microemboli at diagnosis of advanced NSCLC. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 142, 195–200 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-015-2021-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-015-2021-3

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