Mapping breast cancer therapy with circulating tumor cells: The expert perspective

IF 5.7 2区医学 Q1 OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

Breast Pub Date : 2025-03-27 DOI:10.1016/j.breast.2025.104463

Lorenzo Gerratana , Caterina Gianni , Eleonora Nicolò , Letizia Pontolillo , Francois-Clement Bidard , Carolina Reduzzi , Massimo Cristofanilli

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have emerged as a key prognostic biomarker for breast cancer, with their role becoming more pronounced in metastatic cases. In metastatic breast cancer, having five or more CTCs per 7.5 mL of blood is linked to poorer survival and more aggressive disease, marking it as stage IV_aggressive. Conversely, fewer than five CTCs per 7.5 mL of blood indicates a less aggressive, stage IV_indolent disease. Additionally, molecular CTCs characterization provides a real-time snapshot of tumor biology, capturing its temporal and spatial variability and providing insights into tumor behavior.

Beyond their role in predicting outcomes, CTCs can help guide treatment intensity as shown in clinical trials like the STIC trial, offering a new way to tailor therapy alongside other liquid biopsy biomarkers such as circulating tumor DNA.

The aim of our review is to focus on both enumeration and phenotyping of CTCs and examine how CTC-guided strategies can improve treatment tailoring and patient outcomes. We also explore the potential for integrating CTCs with other biomarkers, such as circulating tumor DNA, and discuss how innovative biomarker-driven clinical trial designs could further advance personalized treatment strategies.

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来源期刊

Breast 医学-妇产科学

CiteScore

8.70

自引率

2.60%

发文量

165

审稿时长

59 days

期刊介绍： The Breast is an international, multidisciplinary journal for researchers and clinicians, which focuses on translational and clinical research for the advancement of breast cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all stages.