Circulating tumor cells associated with relapse in late-stage melanoma patients

Study warrants further investigation of liquid biopsy for identifying patients at high risk of disease progression

MD Anderson News Release November 07, 2017

A study revealing a connection between circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and relapse in stage IV melanoma patients points to liquid biopsy as a potential predictor of patients at high risk for disease progression. CTCs, tumor cells shed into the bloodstream or lymphatic system, can lead to additional tumor growth and/or metastasis to distant sites.

Findings from the study, led by安东尼卢奇，医学博士，乳腺肿瘤外科和肿瘤外科教授The University of Texas MD Anderson Center, will be presented at the Nov. 7 annual meeting of theWestern Surgical Association.

Based on earlier studies in which Lucci found significant levels of CTCS in breast cancer, Lucci theorized that CTCs may also be present in melanoma patients.

“IV期黑色素瘤患者的优化管理仍然是一个挑战，因为尽管潜力的新兴疗法，许多患者抗病能力，”卢奇说。“这项研究，设计，以确定是否的CTC与复发有关，检测的CTC在晚期黑素瘤患者大约40％”。

研究小组进行通过血液在阶段IV诊断的时间从93名黑素瘤患者绘制的CTC评估。中位随访期为17个月，患者平均年龄为55岁。CTC的患者42％进行检测，在抽血的时间。五十七岁的93例（61％）有经验的疾病复发。研究表明，半年内，是谁曾经呈阳性的CTC患者51％经历复发，而疾病的患者15％不复发的CTC。在五年的随访期间，那些谁检验呈阳性的CTC患者的82％经历复发，而那些谁没有CTC的46％有疾病复发。

“根据我们的发现，很显然，IV期黑色素瘤患者的CTC有复发或进展比那些没有作为的CTC的显著较高的机会，”卢奇说。“我们希望，在未来的这些信息可能被用来指导治疗，或患者选择治疗 - 或者停止治疗，并切换到另一个 - 当它出现时它不工作”

Lucci previously led the first study of CTCs in early-stage breast cancer, which followed 302 non-metastatic breast cancer patients. Lucci’s team discovered that CTCs were present in 24 percent of stage 1-3 breast cancer patients, demonstrating CTCs as an independent predictor of worse, disease free, and overall survival. The results were published in柳叶刀肿瘤学在2012年。

在黑色素瘤研究MD安德森的团队成员包括梅里克·罗斯，医学博士，理查德皇家医学博士，Mandar Karhade博士和Jessica Bauldry，肿瘤外科;卡罗琳·霍尔博士，乳腺外科;约书亚Upshaw，乳腺肿瘤外科;和Sapna的帕特尔，医学博士，黑色素瘤肿瘤内科。