Detection of circulating tumor cells in advanced head and neck cancer using the cellsearch system

摘要

Background Early detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) offers the possibility of improved outcome for patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). Methods Patients with advanced-stage HNSCC (stage III/IV) were tested for CTCs using the CellSearch system (a registered trade name), which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for monitoring CTCs in other cancers. Results CTCs were detected in 6 of 15 patients with advanced-stage HNSCC (range, 1-2 cells/7.5 mL of blood). CTCs were significantly associated with patients with lung nodules >1 cm (p =.04). There was also a suggestion of improved survival in the CTC-negative versus the CTC-positive patients (p =.11). Conclusions CTCs can be successfully isolated in patients with advanced-stage HNSCC using the CellSearch system. CTC detection may be important for prognosis, evaluating treatment outcome, and for determining efficacy of adjuvant treatments.