EPITHELIAL-MESENCHYMAL TRANSITION IN CIRCULATING TUMOR CELLS (CTCS) NEGATIVES FOR CYTOKERATIN (CK) EXPRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH NON-METASTATIC BREAST CANCER

摘要

The inventors of the present invention have surprisingly discovered that EGFR expression in nonmetastatic breast cancer patients with CK-negative CTCs could induce EMT process. A simultaneous detection of both EGFR and EMT markers (VIM and Slug) in CTCs might improve prognostic or predictive information in patients with operable breast cancer.