Circulating Tumor Cell Enumeration with a Combination of Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule and Cell-Surface Vimentin-Based Methods for Monitoring Breast Cancer Therapeutic Response

摘要

BACKGROUND: Detection, isolation, and enumeration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from cancer patients has become an important modality in clinical management of patients with breast cancer. Although CellSearch, an epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)-based method that is used to isolate epithelial CTCs, has gained prominence, its inability to detect mesenchymal CTCs from breast cancer patients raises concerns regarding its utility in clinical management.