Are Circulating Tumor Cells Predictive of Late Recurrence of ER-Positive Breast Cancer?

The presence of CTCs 5 years after diagnosis was associated with a 13-fold higher risk for recurrence.

To determine if the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood can predict late recurrence of ER-positive breast cancer, investigators conducted a secondary analysis of a prior randomized, double-blind, phase III trial (E5103) involving women with high-risk HER2-negative, node-negative or node-positive disease who received doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel, with or without bevacizumab. A total of 547 patients in the E5103 study were eligible to participate in the present secondary analysis (EL112) if they were free from recurrence 4.5 to 7.5 years after enrollment in E5103.

A CTC assay result was positive (≥1 CTC/7.5 mL of blood) for 18 (5.1%) of 353 patients with ER-positive disease; 23 (6.5%) of 353 patie…

Reviewing Author

William J. Gradishar, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardLilly; AstraZeneca; Gilead

Grant/Research SupportBreast Cancer Research Foundation

Editorial BoardsClinical Breast Cancer; Oncology; Annals of Surgery; Breast Cancer Research and Treatment

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesNational Comprehensive Cancer Network (Chair, Breast Cancer Panel); American Board of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology Board)