July 14, 2009 - Circulating tumor cell (CTC) count could better predict the prognosis and survival in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients compared to FDG-PET/CT, according to a newly published report in the July 10 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
The retrospective study compared how well CTCs and FDG-PET/CT predicted survival in MBC patients on standard therapies. Researchers measured the change in CTC count to accurately predict the prognosis and survival in patients with MBC. The number of CTCs identified in patients with MBC is related to patient prognosis; a high number of CTCs at any time during treatment is associated with poor prognosis.
The comparison showed that both technologies significantly correlate to overall MBC patient survival (p
The CellSearch System is a 510(k) diagnostic test used to automate the capture and detection of CTCs, tumor cells that have detached from solid tumors and entered the patient's blood.
“Measuring CTCs in metastatic breast cancer patients provides oncologists with an additional tool to help us better monitor patient outcomes,” said one of the lead authors, Dr. Massimo Cristofanilli*, associate professor in the Department of Breast Medical Oncology at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. “The CellSearch CTC test provides an early indication about patients’ disease progression and overall survival.”
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October 30, 2026 
