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Zhao H, Wang L, Ji X, Zhang L, Li C. Biology of breast cancer brain metastases and novel therapies targeting the blood brain barrier: an updated review. Med Oncol 2023; 40:181. [PMID: 37202575 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-02047-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Brain metastasis (BM) is a critical cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with breast cancer (BC). Compared with other cancer cells, BC cells (BCs) exhibit special features in the metastatic process. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear, especially the crosstalk between tumour cells and the microenvironment. To date, novel therapies for BM, including targeted therapy and antibody‒drug conjugates, have been developed. Due to an improved understanding of the blood‒brain barrier (BBB) and blood-tumour barrier (BTB), the development and testing of therapeutic agents in clinical phases have substantially increased. However, these therapies face a major challenge due to the low penetration of the BBB or BTB. As a result, researchers have increasingly focused on finding ways to promote drug penetration through these barriers. This review provides an updated overview of breast cancer brain metastases (BCBM) and summarizes the newly developed therapies for BCBM, especially drugs targeting the BBB or BTB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongfang Zhao
- Clinical Medicine College, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, Baoding, 071000, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, Baoding, 071000, China
| | - Luxuan Wang
- Department of Neurological Function Examination, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, Baoding, 071000, China
| | - Xiaolin Ji
- Clinical Medicine College, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, Baoding, 071000, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, Baoding, 071000, China
| | - Lijian Zhang
- Clinical Medicine College, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, Baoding, 071000, China.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, Baoding, 071000, China.
- Postdoctoral Research Station of Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, Baoding, 071000, China.
| | - Chunhui Li
- Clinical Medicine College, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, Baoding, 071000, China.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, Baoding, 071000, China.
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The Role of Circulating Tumor Cells in the Prognosis of Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancers: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10040769. [PMID: 35453519 PMCID: PMC9025371 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10040769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women worldwide. One subtype of breast cancer is the triple-negative, which accounts for 15% of total breast cancer cases and is known for its poor prognosis. The main cause of death is due to metastasis. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play a key role in the metastatic process. CTCs arise either by detaching from the primary tumor or from cancer stem cells undergoing an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). This review aims to present up-to-date data concerning the role of CTC numbers in relation to the prognostic and treatment response in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) patients, and also to discuss the methods used for CTCs’ identification. A search in the MEDLINE database was performed. A total of 234 articles were identified. The results of the 24 eligible studies showed that positive CTC status is associated with shorter overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in mTNBC patients. Furthermore, a decrease in number of CTCs during therapy seems to be a favorable prognostic factor, making CTCs’ detection an important prognostic tool before and during therapy in mTNBC patients. The methods used for CTC detection are still developing and need further improvement.
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Li J, Wang S, Kang W, Li N, Guo F, Chang H, Wei W. Multifunctional gold nanoparticle based selective detection of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells using resonance Rayleigh scattering assay. Microchem J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2020.105905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Zhou S, Wang L, Zhang W, Liu F, Zhang Y, Jiang B, Wang J, Yuan H. Circulating Tumor Cells Correlate With Prognosis in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Technol Cancer Res Treat 2021; 20:1533033821990037. [PMID: 33641530 PMCID: PMC7924006 DOI: 10.1177/1533033821990037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: To investigate the relationship of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and the clinical characteristic parameters and prognosis in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods: The retrospective clinical study included 95 patients with HNSCC who after surgery in Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine between December 2015 and December 2016. All patients were followed up for survival until the end of June 2019. The CTCs detection was performed by negative enrichment (NE) immunofluorescence-in situ hybridization (im-FISH) of chromosome 8. Results: Patients with higher CTCs counts are associated with a worse prognosis with an area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.756 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.640-0.872, p = 0.001]. The CTCs-positive rate of HNSCC patients was 58.9% (56/95) by using the cut-point of 3. Both the chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis showed that the N stage and clinical stage were significantly associated with CTCs-positive in patients with HNSCC (p < 0.05). Further Non-parametric test analysis indicated that more CTCs counts were detected in late N and clinical stages patients (p < 0.001). The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that CTCs-positive were correlated with shorter progression-free survival (PFS) (p < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.001). Further, the CTCs-positive was an independent prognostic factor for PFS and OS according to the Cox multivariate regression analysis (p < 0.05). Conclusion: More CTCs were associated with N stage, clinical stage, poor prognosis in patients with HNSCC, which might be used as a prognostic biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shichao Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, 56694Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lili Wang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, 56694Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenying Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, 56694Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Liu
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, 56694Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanjie Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, 56694Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Jiang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, 56694Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - JiongYi Wang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, 56694Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Haihua Yuan
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, 56694Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Weiner-Gorzel K, Murphy M. Mitochondrial dynamics, a new therapeutic target for Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2021; 1875:188518. [PMID: 33545296 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive tumour with patients survival rarely exceeding five years. TNBC tumours are larger in size, more chemoresistant, highly proliferative and usually more enriched in stem and immune cells comparing to other breast cancer subtypes. Functionally, these changes are dependent on a high-quality mitochondrial pool. Mitochondrial health is constantly assessed and appropriately improved by mitochondrial dynamics (cycles of mitochondrial fusion and division). Recent advances in understanding of mitochondrial dynamics in TNBC has demonstrated its critical importance in tumour growth and metastasis. This review explores current knowledge of mitochondrial dynamics in TNBC and discusses targeting this pathway clinically to improve outcomes for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Weiner-Gorzel
- Conway Institute, UCD School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland; Department of General Medicine, St. Vincent University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - M Murphy
- Conway Institute, UCD School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
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Circulating Tumor Cells and Bevacizumab Pharmacokinetics during Neoadjuvant Treatment Combining Chemotherapy and Bevacizumab for Early Breast Cancer: Ancillary Analysis of the AVASTEM Trial. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13010140. [PMID: 33466225 PMCID: PMC7796232 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13010140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The phase II AVASTEM trial explored the impact of chemotherapy-bevacizumab combination on breast cancer stem cells in the neoadjuvant setting. We aimed to identify biological features associated with preoperative chemotherapy efficacy and prognosis by analyses of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and bevacizumab pharmacokinetics (PK). The main objective was to assess the prognostic (relapse-free survival and overall survival) and predictive (pathological complete response, pCR) values of CTCs (CellSearch technology) and bevacizumab PK (ELISA). Seventy-five patients were included. Out of them 50 received bevacizumab-chemotherapy and 25 received chemotherapy alone. CTC results were available for 60 patients and PK data for 29 patients in the experimental arm. The absence of CTC at inclusion was correlated to better outcome. Five-years overall survival (OS) was 91% for CTC-negative patients vs. 54% for CTC-positive cases (HR = 6.21; 95%CI (1.75-22.06), p = 0.001, log-rank test). Similar results were observed for RFS with 5 y-RFS of 78% vs. 44% (HR = 3.51; 95%CI (1.17-10.52), p = 0.017, log-rank test). However, CTC status at baseline was not predictive of pCR (p = 0.74). CTC status after one cycle was not a significant prognostic factor (HR = 1.56; 95%CI (0.19-12.67); p = 0.68 for OS and HR = 2.76; 95%CI (0.60-12.61); p = 0.17 for RFS, log-rank test). Bevacizumab serum levels could not predict pCR and survival. PK values were not associated with treatment-related toxicities. In conclusion, CTCs detection at baseline is a prognostic marker for breast cancer receiving a neoadjuvant chemotherapy-bevacizumab combination independently of tumor response.
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Wickramaratne B, Pappas D. Tandem microfluidic chip isolation of prostate and breast cancer cells from simulated liquid biopsies using CD71 as an affinity ligand. RSC Adv 2020; 10:32628-32637. [PMID: 35516489 PMCID: PMC9056606 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra03626a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of blood as a liquid biopsy provides a minimally invasive and less traumatic approach for initial cancer screens as well as patient monitoring. However, current clinical protocols require a priori knowledge of cancer type for liquid biopsy analyses. Previously, we proposed the use of the human transferrin 1 receptor protein (CD71) as a universal capture target for cancer cells analyses. In this study we have attempted to identify the lowest limit of detection for circulating tumor cells of prostate (PC-3) and breast cancers (MDA-MB-231) using CD71. We used a novel high-throughput herringbone chip design which could extract PC-3 cells at 34 ± 5% purity and MDA-MB-231 cells at 43 ± 35% purity when spiked to lysed blood at 0.1%. MDA-MB-231 cell spiked samples showed higher standard deviation, but the system captured 55 ± 16 cells, which is a sufficient number of cells for subsequent analyses. Further, this herringbone chip design has been shown to be compatible with an erythrocyte lysis chip we have described in previous studies. This circuit was capable of capturing 510 ± 120 cells with a purity of 82 ± 14% using <7 μL of a whole blood sample spiked with 10% MDA-MB-231 cells. Using an erythrocyte lysis circuit eliminates the need for human intervention for target cell enrichment, thereby reducing cell loss and sample contamination. We have shown that, when used with the high-throughput herringbone chip CD71 has the capacity to sensitively detect rare target cells for routine low-cost cancer screens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dimitri Pappas
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Lubbock TX USA
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Li Y, Wu G, Yang W, Wang X, Duan L, Niu L, Zhang Y, Liu J, Hong L, Fan D. Prognostic value of circulating tumor cells detected with the CellSearch system in esophageal cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cancer 2020; 20:581. [PMID: 32571299 PMCID: PMC7310134 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-020-07059-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Esophageal carcinoma (EC) is the seventh-most prevalent tumor in the world, which is still one of the primary causes of tumor-related death. Identifying noteworthy biomarkers for EC is particularly significant in guiding effective treatment. Recently, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood (PB) were intensively discussed as prognostic markers in patients with EC. However, an ongoing controversy still exists regarding the prognostic significance of CTCs determined by the CellSearch system in EC sufferers. This meta-analysis was designed to approach this topic. Methods We systematically conducted searches using PubMed, Medline, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library for relevant studies, which were published through February 20, 2020. Using the random-effects model, our study was performed in Review Manager software, with odds ratios (ORs), risk ratios (RRs), hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as the effect values. Results Totally 7 articles were finally included in this study. For clinicopathological characteristics, the pooled results on TNM stage indicated that the III/IV group had higher rate of CTCs compared with the I/II group (OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 0.68–2.71, I2 = 0%). Incidence of CTCs was higher in patients with T3/T4 stage (OR = 2.92, 95% CI: 1.31–6.51, I2 = 0%) and distant metastasis group (OR = 5.18, 95% CI: 2.38–11.25, I2 = 0%) compared to patients with T1/T2 stage or non-metastatic group. The pooled analysis revealed that CTC positivity detected in EC patients was correlated with poor overall survival (OS) (HR = 2.83, 95% CI:1.99–4.03, I2 = 0%) and relapse-free survival (RFS) (HR = 4.71, 95% CI:2.73–8.13, I2 = 0%). When pooling the estimated RR, a poor therapeutic response to chemoradiotherapy was discovered in patients with CTC positivity (RR = 1.99, 95% CI:1.73–2.29, I2 = 60%). Conclusions In summary, our meta-analysis demonstrated that CTCs positivity determined by the CellSearch system are correlated with the prognosis of EC patients and might indicate a poor therapeutic response to chemotherapy in EC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiding Li
- State key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, 127 Changle West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, PR China
| | - Guiling Wu
- School of Aerospace Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Wanli Yang
- State key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, 127 Changle West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, PR China
| | - Xiaoqian Wang
- State key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, 127 Changle West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, PR China
| | - Lili Duan
- State key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, 127 Changle West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, PR China
| | - Liaoran Niu
- State key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, 127 Changle West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, PR China
| | - Yujie Zhang
- State key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, 127 Changle West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, PR China
| | - Jinqiang Liu
- State key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, 127 Changle West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, PR China
| | - Liu Hong
- State key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, 127 Changle West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, PR China.
| | - Daiming Fan
- State key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, 127 Changle West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, PR China
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Mansouri S, Mokhtari-Hesari P, Naghavi-Al-Hosseini F, Majidzadeh-A K, Farahmand L. The Prognostic Value of Circulating Tumor Cells in Primary Breast Cancer Prior to any Systematic Therapy: A Systematic Review. Curr Stem Cell Res Ther 2020; 14:519-529. [PMID: 30843493 DOI: 10.2174/1574888x14666190306103759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous studies have defined the outstanding role of circulating tumor cells (CTC) in the management of cancer, particularly the ones in association with primary tumor metastases. OBJECTIVE The overall aim of the present study was to investigate whether CTCs may serve as a clinical prognostic marker for survival in primary breast cancer. METHODS Articles Published from June 2011 to July 2017 in PubMed, EMBase, and Cochrane library databases were thoroughly screened for selecting the ones meeting the inclusion criteria. RESULT Studies applying CellSearch® method demonstrated the risk ratios (RR) of 2.51 (95% CI: 1.78- 3.54), 3.98 (95% CI: 2.28- 6.95), 5.59 (95% CI: 3.29- 9.51), and 3.38 (95% CI: 1.88- 6.06) for death rate and relapse rates of 2.48 (95% CI: 1.89 - 3.26), 3.62 (95% CI: 2.37 - 5.51), 4.45 (95% CI: 2.94 - 6.73), and 2.88 (95 % CI: 1.99 - 4.17) at four CTC positive cut points (≥ 1, ≥ 2, ≥ 3, and ≥ 5 CTCs/7.5 ml). Two studies applying the AdnaTest® also documented increased death (RR: 1.38, 95 % CI: 0.42- 4.49) and relapse rates (RR: 2.97, 95 % CI: 1.23 - 7.18)). CONCLUSION Results of this meta-analysis allude CTCs as potent prognostic markers in primary breast cancers prior to any systemic therapy especially when it is studied via CellSearch® administration, considering that the more the CTCs, the greater the death and relapse rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Mansouri
- Recombinant Proteins Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parisa Mokhtari-Hesari
- Integrative Oncology Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Naghavi-Al-Hosseini
- Recombinant Proteins Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Keivan Majidzadeh-A
- Recombinant Proteins Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leila Farahmand
- Recombinant Proteins Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
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Abreu M, Cabezas-Sainz P, Pereira-Veiga T, Falo C, Abalo A, Morilla I, Curiel T, Cueva J, Rodríguez C, Varela-Pose V, Lago-Lestón R, Mondelo P, Palacios P, Moreno-Bueno G, Cano A, García-Caballero T, Pujana MÁ, Sánchez-Piñón L, Costa C, López R, Muinelo-Romay L. Looking for a Better Characterization of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer by Means of Circulating Tumor Cells. J Clin Med 2020; 9:E353. [PMID: 32012729 PMCID: PMC7074553 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9020353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditionally, studies to address the characterization of mechanisms promoting tumor aggressiveness and progression have been focused only on primary tumor analyses, which could provide relevant information but have limitations to really characterize the more aggressive tumor population. To overcome these limitations, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) represent a noninvasive and valuable tool for real-time profiling of disseminated tumor cells. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the value of CTC enumeration and characterization to identify markers associated with the outcome and the aggressiveness of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). For that aim, the CTC population from 32 patients diagnosed with TNBC was isolated and characterized. This population showed important cell plasticity in terms of expression of epithelia/mesenchymal and stemness markers, suggesting the relevance of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) intermediate phenotypes for efficient tumor dissemination. Importantly, the CTC signature demonstrated prognostic value to predict the patients' outcome and pointed to a relevant role of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP1) and androgen receptor (AR) for TNBC biology. Furthermore, we also analyzed the usefulness of the AR and TIMP1 blockade to target TNBC proliferation and dissemination using in vitro and in vivo zebra fish and mouse models. Overall, the molecular characterization of CTCs from advanced TNBC patients identifies highly specific biomarkers with potential applicability as noninvasive prognostic markers and reinforced the value of TIMP1 and AR as potential therapeutic targets to tackle the most aggressive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Abreu
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis Unit, Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.A.); (A.A.); (R.L.-L.); (P.M.); (R.L.)
| | - Pablo Cabezas-Sainz
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus de Lugo, 27002 Lugo, Spain; (P.C.-S.); (L.S.-P.)
| | - Thais Pereira-Veiga
- Roche-CHUS Joint Unit, Oncomet, Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), Complejo Hospitalario de Santiago de Compostela, Trav. Choupana s/n, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (T.P.-V.); (C.C.)
| | - Catalina Falo
- Department of Medical Oncology-Breast Cancer Unit, Institut Català d’Oncologia (ICO)-Hospitalet-Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Universitat de Barcelona, 08007 Barcelona, Spain; (C.F.); (I.M.)
| | - Alicia Abalo
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis Unit, Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.A.); (A.A.); (R.L.-L.); (P.M.); (R.L.)
| | - Idoia Morilla
- Department of Medical Oncology-Breast Cancer Unit, Institut Català d’Oncologia (ICO)-Hospitalet-Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Universitat de Barcelona, 08007 Barcelona, Spain; (C.F.); (I.M.)
| | - Teresa Curiel
- Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (T.C.); (J.C.); (C.R.); (V.V.-P.); (P.P.)
| | - Juan Cueva
- Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (T.C.); (J.C.); (C.R.); (V.V.-P.); (P.P.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (G.M.-B.); (A.C.)
| | - Carmela Rodríguez
- Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (T.C.); (J.C.); (C.R.); (V.V.-P.); (P.P.)
| | - Vanesa Varela-Pose
- Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (T.C.); (J.C.); (C.R.); (V.V.-P.); (P.P.)
| | - Ramón Lago-Lestón
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis Unit, Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.A.); (A.A.); (R.L.-L.); (P.M.); (R.L.)
| | - Patricia Mondelo
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis Unit, Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.A.); (A.A.); (R.L.-L.); (P.M.); (R.L.)
| | - Patricia Palacios
- Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (T.C.); (J.C.); (C.R.); (V.V.-P.); (P.P.)
| | - Gema Moreno-Bueno
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (G.M.-B.); (A.C.)
- Fundación MD Anderson Internacional, C/Gómez Hemans 2, 28033 Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas ‘Alberto Sols’ (CSIC-UAM), IdiPaz, Arzobispo Morcillo 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Amparo Cano
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (G.M.-B.); (A.C.)
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas ‘Alberto Sols’ (CSIC-UAM), IdiPaz, Arzobispo Morcillo 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Tomás García-Caballero
- Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Santiago, Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
| | - Miquel Ángel Pujana
- ProCURE, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Bellvitge Institute of Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), 08908 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Laura Sánchez-Piñón
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus de Lugo, 27002 Lugo, Spain; (P.C.-S.); (L.S.-P.)
| | - Clotilde Costa
- Roche-CHUS Joint Unit, Oncomet, Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), Complejo Hospitalario de Santiago de Compostela, Trav. Choupana s/n, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (T.P.-V.); (C.C.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (G.M.-B.); (A.C.)
| | - Rafael López
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis Unit, Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.A.); (A.A.); (R.L.-L.); (P.M.); (R.L.)
- Roche-CHUS Joint Unit, Oncomet, Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), Complejo Hospitalario de Santiago de Compostela, Trav. Choupana s/n, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (T.P.-V.); (C.C.)
- Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (T.C.); (J.C.); (C.R.); (V.V.-P.); (P.P.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (G.M.-B.); (A.C.)
| | - Laura Muinelo-Romay
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis Unit, Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.A.); (A.A.); (R.L.-L.); (P.M.); (R.L.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (G.M.-B.); (A.C.)
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11
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Vishnoi M, Liu NH, Yin W, Boral D, Scamardo A, Hong D, Marchetti D. The identification of a TNBC liver metastasis gene signature by sequential CTC-xenograft modeling. Mol Oncol 2019; 13:1913-1926. [PMID: 31216110 PMCID: PMC6717757 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) liver metastasis is associated with poor prognosis and low patient survival. It occurs when tumor cells disseminate from primary tumors, circulate in blood/lymph [circulating tumor cells (CTCs)], and acquire distinct characteristics during disease progression toward the metastatic phenotype. The purpose of this study was to decipher the genomic/transcriptomic properties of TNBC liver metastasis and its recurrence for potential therapeutic targeting. We employed a negative depletion strategy to isolate and interrogate CTCs from the blood of patients with TNBC, and to establish sequential generations of CTC-derived xenografts (CDXs) through injection of patient CTCs in immunodeficient mice. The isolation and validation of CDX-derived cell populations [analyses of CTCs were paired with bone marrow-resident cells (BMRTCs) and liver tissue cells obtained from the same animal] were performed by multiparametric flow cytometry, immune phenotyping, and genomic sequencing of putative CTCs. Comprehensive characterization of gene expression arrays from sequentially generated CDX-derived cell populations, online gene expression arrays, and TCGA databases were employed to discover a CTC-driven, liver metastasis-associated TNBC signature. We discovered a distinct transcriptomic signature of TNBC patient-isolated CTCs from primary TNBCs, which was consistent throughout sequential CDX modeling. We established a novel TNBC liver metastasis-specific CDX model that selectively recapitulates CTC biology for four sequential generations of mice. The evaluation of online databases and CDX-derived populations revealed 597 genes specific to the TNBC liver metastasis signatures. Further investigation of the TNBC liver metastasis signature predicted 16 hub genes, 6 biomarkers with clinically available drugs, and 22 survival genes. The sequential interrogation of CDX-CTCs is an innovative liquid biopsy-based approach for the discovery of organ metastasis-specific signatures of CTCs. This represents the first step for mechanistic and analytical validation in their application as prognostic indicators and therapeutic targets. Targeting CTC drug candidate biomarkers along with combination therapy can improve the clinical outcome of TNBC patients in general and recurrence of liver metastasis in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Vishnoi
- Biomarker Research Program CenterHouston Methodist Research InstituteTXUSA
| | - Nikki Haowen Liu
- Biomarker Research Program CenterHouston Methodist Research InstituteTXUSA
| | - Wei Yin
- Biomarker Research Program CenterHouston Methodist Research InstituteTXUSA
| | - Debasish Boral
- Biomarker Research Program CenterHouston Methodist Research InstituteTXUSA
| | - Antonio Scamardo
- Department of Investigational Cancer TherapeuticsThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTXUSA
| | - David Hong
- Department of Investigational Cancer TherapeuticsThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTXUSA
| | - Dario Marchetti
- Biomarker Research Program CenterHouston Methodist Research InstituteTXUSA
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12
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The biology and clinical potential of circulating tumor cells. Radiol Oncol 2019; 53:131-147. [PMID: 31104002 PMCID: PMC6572494 DOI: 10.2478/raon-2019-0024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Tumor cells can shed from the tumor, enter the circulation and travel to distant organs, where they can seed metastases. These cells are called circulating tumor cells (CTCs). The ability of CTCs to populate distant tissues and organs has led us to believe they are the primary cause of cancer metastasis. The biological properties and interaction of CTCs with other cell types during intravasation, circulation in the bloodstream, extravasation and colonization are multifaceted and include changes of CTC phenotypes that are regulated by many signaling molecules, including cytokines and chemokines. Considering a sample is readily accessible by a simple blood draw, monitoring CTC levels in the blood has exceptional implications in oncology field. A method called the liquid biopsy allows the extraction of not only CTC, but also CTC products, such as cell free DNA (cfDNA), cell free RNA (cfRNA), microRNA (miRNA) and exosomes. Conclusions The clinical utility of CTCs and their products is increasing with advances in liquid biopsy technology. Clinical applications of liquid biopsy to detect CTCs and their products are numerous and could be used for screening of the presence of the cancer in the general population, as well as for prognostic and predictive biomarkers in cancer patients. With the development of better CTC isolation technologies and clinical testing in large prospective trials, increasing clinical utility of CTCs can be expected. The understanding of their biology and interactions with other cell types, particularly with those of the immune system and the rise of immunotherapy also hold great promise for novel therapeutic possibilities.
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13
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Choi MK, Kim GH, I H, Park SJ, Lee MW, Lee BE, Park DY, Cho YK. Circulating tumor cells detected using fluid-assisted separation technique in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019; 34:552-560. [PMID: 30426559 DOI: 10.1111/jgh.14543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the aggressive gastrointestinal tract cancers. Detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood from patients with various malignancies has been reported to have diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications. We aimed to evaluate CTCs in patients with ESCC and assess the clinical significance of CTCs in the early diagnosis of ESCC. METHODS Peripheral blood samples for CTCs analyses were prospectively obtained from 73 patients with ESCC prior to treatment between March 2015 and June 2018. CTCs were detected using a centrifugal microfluidic system with a new fluid-assisted separation technique. Blood samples from 31 healthy volunteers were used as controls. RESULTS After creating a receiver operating characteristic curve to determine the optimal CTC threshold to differentiate patients with ESCC from healthy controls, sensitivity and specificity were most optimized at a CTC threshold of two per 7.5 mL of blood. Among 66 subjects with ≥ 2 CTCs per 7.5 mL of blood, 63 (95.5%) had ESCC. Among 38 subjects with < 2 CTCs per 7.5 mL of blood, 28 (73.7%) were healthy controls. When using this threshold, the sensitivity and specificity for differentiating patients with ESCC from healthy controls were 86.3% and 90.3%, respectively. CTC count was associated with tumor-node-metastasis stage, especially lymph node metastasis, but there was no correlation with any other relevant clinicopathologic variable. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that CTCs detected using fluid-assisted separation technique could be helpful for early diagnosis of ESCC. Further large-scale prospective studies are warranted to validate our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mun Ki Choi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Busan, Korea
| | - Gwang Ha Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Busan, Korea
| | - Hoseok I
- Department of Chest Surgery, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea
| | - Su Jin Park
- Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Busan, Korea
| | - Moon Won Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Busan, Korea
| | - Bong Eun Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Busan, Korea
| | - Do Youn Park
- Department of Pathology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea
| | - Yoon-Kyoung Cho
- Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) and Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Korea
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14
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Lin JD, Liou MJ, Hsu HL, Leong KK, Chen YT, Wang YR, Hung WS, Lee HY, Tsai HJ, Tseng CP. Circulating Epithelial Cell Characterization and Correlation with Remission and Survival in Patients with Thyroid Cancer. Thyroid 2018; 28:1479-1489. [PMID: 30221579 DOI: 10.1089/thy.2017.0639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine tumor and generally has relatively good clinical outcomes. However, 15-20% of patients ultimately develop recurrence or disease-related death. The appropriate prognostic factors for thyroid cancer are still elusive. This study evaluated whether the number of circulating tumor cells/circulating epithelial cells (CECs) expressing either epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), podoplanin (PDPN), or thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) is related to remission and disease-specific mortality (DSM) of patients with thyroid cancer. METHODS Blood samples were collected from patients (n = 128) after thyroidectomy or radioactive iodide therapy. CECs were enriched by lysis of red blood cells and depletion of leukocytes. Subtyping and quantification of the enriched cells were performed with immunofluorescence staining using antibodies against EpCAM, TSHR, and PDPN, respectively. Whether the number of a specific subtype of CECs is related to remission and DSM of patients was determined by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS The EpCAM+-CECs, TSHR+-CECs, and PDPN+-CECs counts for patients in the non-remission group (n = 43) were significantly higher when compared to the remission group (n = 85; p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the number of EpCAM+-CECs, TSHR+-CECs, and PDPN+-CECs was able to distinguish the status of remission from non-remission. The cutoff point for EpCAM+-CECs, TSHR+-CECs, and PDPN+-CECs was 40, 47, and 14 (cells/mL), with the accuracy of the assay equivalent to 80.4%, 76.6%, and 77.3%, respectively. On the other hand, the number of EpCAM+-CECs (p < 0.001), PDPN+-CECs (p = 0.013), and TSHR+-CECs (p < 0.001) for patients in the DSM group (n = 17) was significantly higher when compared to the patients who survived (n = 111). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that EpCAM+-CECs, TSHR+-CECs, and PDPN+-CECs counts were able to distinguish mortality from survival status. The cutoff point for EpCAM+-CECs, TSHR+-CECs, and PDPN+-CECs was 27, 25, and 9 (cells/mL), with the accuracy of the assay equivalent to 69.5%, 67.2%, and 68.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS CEC testing is a useful tool for analysis of overall survival and remission status of patients with thyroid cancer. Implementation of CEC testing into routine clinical test may be worthy to consider for patient clinical care.
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MESH Headings
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Child
- Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule/metabolism
- Epithelial Cells/metabolism
- Epithelial Cells/pathology
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Membrane Glycoproteins/metabolism
- Middle Aged
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/metabolism
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/mortality
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology
- Neoplastic Cells, Circulating/metabolism
- Neoplastic Cells, Circulating/pathology
- Receptors, Thyrotropin/metabolism
- Survival Rate
- Thyroid Cancer, Papillary/metabolism
- Thyroid Cancer, Papillary/mortality
- Thyroid Cancer, Papillary/pathology
- Thyroid Cancer, Papillary/surgery
- Thyroid Neoplasms/metabolism
- Thyroid Neoplasms/mortality
- Thyroid Neoplasms/pathology
- Thyroid Neoplasms/surgery
- Thyroidectomy
- Young Adult
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen-Der Lin
- 1 Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital , Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Miaw-Jene Liou
- 1 Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital , Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Hsueh-Ling Hsu
- 2 Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science and Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Kong-Kit Leong
- 2 Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science and Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Yu-Ting Chen
- 2 Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science and Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Ying-Ru Wang
- 2 Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science and Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Wei-Shan Hung
- 2 Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science and Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Hsing-Ying Lee
- 3 Graduate Institute of Biomedical Science, College of Medicine; Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Hui-Ju Tsai
- 2 Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science and Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Ching-Ping Tseng
- 5 Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital , Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
- 2 Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science and Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
- 3 Graduate Institute of Biomedical Science, College of Medicine; Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
- 4 Molecular Medicine Research Center; Chang Gung University , Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
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Chistiakov DA, Chekhonin VP. Circulating tumor cells and their advances to promote cancer metastasis and relapse, with focus on glioblastoma multiforme. Exp Mol Pathol 2018; 105:166-174. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2018.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 07/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) isolated from plasma or serum by noninvasive procedures can serve as a "liquid biopsy" and has potential as a biomarker for the tumor burden and survival prediction of breast cancer (BC). However, its prognostic value in patients with BC is currently under debate. The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the relationship between cfDNA and survival outcome. METHODS We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Science Citation Index electronic databases for studies about the prognostic utility of cfDNA in patients with BC. The clinical characteristics, relapse/disease-free survival (RFS/DFS), and overall survival (OS) data were extracted from the eligible studies. The hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated and pooled with a fixed-effects model using the Stata12.0 software. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were also performed. RESULTS This meta-analysis included a total of 10 eligible studies and 1127 patients with BC. The pooled HR with 95% CI showed strong associations between cfDNA and OS (HR = 2.41, 95% CI, 1.83-3.16) along with DFS/RFS (HR = 2.73, 95% CI, 2.04-3.67) in patients with BC. Although publication bias was found in the studies regarding RFS/DFS, further trim and fill analysis revealed that the adjusted HR would be 2.53 (95% CI, 1.83-3.51), which is close to the original HR. Subgroup analyses confirmed the role of cfDNA as a strong prognostic marker in patients with BC, regardless of cfDNA analysis, sampling time, sample source, detection method, tumor stage, sample size, or area. CONCLUSIONS Our meta-analysis indicates that cfDNA is a strong predictive and prognostic marker in patients with BC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chang Chu
- Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
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17
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Circulating tumor cells predict survival benefit from chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer. Oncotarget 2018; 7:67586-67596. [PMID: 27588489 PMCID: PMC5341898 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This meta-analysis was to explore the clinical significance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in predicting the tumor response to chemotherapy and prognosis of patients with lung cancer. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Database, Web of Science and reference lists of relevant articles. Our meta-analysis was performed by Stata software, version 12.0, with a random effects model. Risk ratio (RR), hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used as effect measures. Results 8 studies, including 453 patients, were eligible for analyses. We showed that the disease control rate (DCR) in CTCs-negative patients was significantly higher than CTCs-positive patients at baseline (RR = 2.56, 95%CI [1.36, 4.82], p < 0.05) and during chemotherapy (RR = 9.08, CI [3.44, 23.98], p < 0.001). Patients who converted form CTC-negative to positive or persistently positive during chemotherapy had a worse disease progression than those with CTC-positive to negative or persistently negative (RR = 8.52, CI [1.66, 43.83], p < 0.05). Detection of CTCs at baseline and during chemotherapy also indicated poor overall survival (OS) (baseline: HR = 3.43, CI [2.21, 5.33], p<0.001; during chemotherapy: HR = 3.16, CI [2.23, 4.48], p < 0.001) and progression-free survival (PFS) (baseline: HR = 3.16, 95%CI [2.23, 4.48], p < 0.001; during chemotherapy: HR = 3.78, CI [2.33, 6.13], p < 0.001). Conclusions Detection of CTCs in peripheral blood indicates poor tumor response to chemotherapy and poor prognosis in patients with lung cancer.
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18
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Riethdorf S, O'Flaherty L, Hille C, Pantel K. Clinical applications of the CellSearch platform in cancer patients. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018; 125:102-121. [PMID: 29355669 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2018.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The CellSearch® system (CS) enables standardized enrichment and enumeration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) that are repeatedly assessable via non-invasive "liquid biopsy". While the association of CTCs with poor clinical outcome for cancer patients has clearly been demonstrated in numerous clinical studies, utilizing CTCs for the identification of therapeutic targets, stratification of patients for targeted therapies and uncovering mechanisms of resistance is still under investigation. Here, we comprehensively review the current benefits and drawbacks of clinical CTC analyses for patients with metastatic and non-metastatic tumors. Furthermore, the review focuses on approaches beyond CTC enumeration that aim to uncover therapeutically relevant antigens, genomic aberrations, transcriptional profiles and epigenetic alterations of CTCs at a single cell level. This characterization of CTCs may shed light on the heterogeneity and genomic landscapes of malignant tumors, an understanding of which is highly important for the development of new therapeutic strategies.
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Liu X, Ran R, Shao B, Rugo HS, Yang Y, Hu Z, Wei Z, Wan F, Kong W, Song G, Jiang H, Liang X, Zhang R, Yan Y, Xu G, Li H. Combined peripheral natural killer cell and circulating tumor cell enumeration enhance prognostic efficiency in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Chin J Cancer Res 2018; 30:315-326. [PMID: 30046226 DOI: 10.21147/j.issn.1000-9604.2018.03.04] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous disease with poor prognosis. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are a promising predictor for breast cancer prognoses but their reliability regarding progression-free survival (PFS) is controversial. We aim to verify their predictive value in TNBC. Methods In present prospective cohort study, we used the Pep@MNPs method to enumerate CTCs in baseline blood samples from 75 patients with TNBC (taken at inclusion in this study) and analyzed correlations between CTC numbers and outcomes and other clinical parameters. Results Median PFS was 6.0 (range: 1.0-25.0) months for the entire cohort, in whom we found no correlations between baseline CTC status and initial tumor stage (P=0.167), tumor grade (P=0.783) or histological type (P=0.084). However, among those getting first-line treatment, baseline CTC status was positively correlated with ratio of peripheral natural killer (NK) cells (P=0.032), presence of lung metastasis (P=0.034) and number of visceral metastatic site (P=0.037). Baseline CTC status was predictive for PFS in first-line TNBC (P=0.033), but not for the cohort as a whole (P=0.118). This prognostic limitation of CTC could be ameliorated by combining CTC and NK cell enumeration (P=0.049). Conclusions Baseline CTC status was predictive of lung metastasis, peripheral NK cell ratio and PFS in TNBC patients undergoing first-line treatment. We have developed a combined CTC-NK enumeration strategy that allows us to predict PFS in TNBC without any preconditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoran Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Breast Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Ran Ran
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Breast Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Bin Shao
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Breast Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Hope S Rugo
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco 94115, USA
| | - Yanlian Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Zhiyuan Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Zewen Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Fengling Wan
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Breast Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Weiyao Kong
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Breast Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Guohong Song
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Breast Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Hanfang Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Breast Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Xu Liang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Breast Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Ruyan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Breast Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Ying Yan
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Breast Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Guobing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Huiping Li
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Breast Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
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Wang S, Du H, Li G. Significant prognostic value of circulating tumor cells in esophageal cancer patients: A meta-analysis. Oncotarget 2017; 8:15815-15826. [PMID: 28178659 PMCID: PMC5362525 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.15012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Esophageal cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is emerging as a novel strategy for predicting cancer patient prognosis. Here we performed a comprehensive literature search to identify relevant articles in EMbase, PubMed, EBSCO, OVID, Cochrane Database, CNKI, WanFangdata and VIPdata. Meta-analysis was conducted using Stata12.0 software, according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted data and assessment methodology. Thirteen eligible literature studies were included with a total of 979 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients, including 424 CTC-positive and 684 CTC-negative cases. Meta-analysis showed that the presence of CTCs was associated with both worse progression-free/disease-free survival [hazard ration (HR) = 2.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.57 - 3.43, p < 0.001] and poorer overall survival [HR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.69 - 4.14, p < 0.001]. Further subgroup analyses demonstrated that CTC-positive patients also showed worse progression-free/disease-free survival and poorer overall survival in different subsets. In summary, our meta-analysis provides strong evidence that detection of CTCs in the peripheral blood is an independent prognostic indicator of poor outcome for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyu Wang
- Medical Laboratory Department, Heze Municipal Hospital, Heze, Shandong, 274031 China
| | - Hongyang Du
- Heze Centre for Adverse Drug Reactions Monitoring, Heze, Shangdong, 274000, China
| | - Guixia Li
- Medical Laboratory Department, Heze Municipal Hospital, Heze, Shandong, 274031 China
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Comparison of patterns and prognosis among distant metastatic breast cancer patients by age groups: a SEER population-based analysis. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9254. [PMID: 28835702 PMCID: PMC5569011 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10166-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate the effects of age at diagnosis on metastatic breast cancer and patients' prognosis, we collected patient data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We finally identified 4932 eligible metastatic breast cancer patients diagnosed between 2010-2013, including 850 younger patients (<50 years), 2,540 middle-aged patients (50-69 years) and 1,542 elder patients (>69 years). The results revealed that in stage IV patients, elder patients were more likely to have lung metastasis (P < 0.001) and less likely to have only distant lymphatic spread (P = 0.004). Higher proportion of younger (34.9%) and middle-aged (36.2%) patients had multiple metastatic sites than elder patients (28.3%) (P < 0.001). In survival analysis, younger patients presented the best prognosis, while elder patients had the worst both in overall survival (χ2 = 121.9, P < 0.001) and breast cancer-specific survival (χ2 = 69.8, P < 0.001). Age at diagnosis was an independent prognostic factor for metastatic breast cancer patients. Moreover, patients with bone metastasis only had superior survival compared to other metastatic patients (P < 0.001). Brain metastasis only group and multiple sites metastasis group had the poorest prognosis (P < 0.05). We hope the results will provide insights into a better understanding of distant metastatic breast cancer.
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Billingsley MM, Riley RS, Day ES. Antibody-nanoparticle conjugates to enhance the sensitivity of ELISA-based detection methods. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177592. [PMID: 28494030 PMCID: PMC5426781 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate antigen detection is imperative for clinicians to diagnose disease, assess treatment success, and predict patient prognosis. The most common technique used for the detection of disease-associated biomarkers is the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In an ELISA, primary antibodies are incubated with biological samples containing the biomarker of interest. Then, detectible secondary antibodies conjugated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) bind the primary antibodies. Upon addition of a color-changing substrate, the samples provide a colorimetric signal that directly correlates to the targeted biomarker concentration. While ELISAs are effective for analyzing samples with high biomarker content, they lack the sensitivity required to analyze samples with low antigen levels. We hypothesized that the sensitivity of ELISAs could be enhanced by replacing freely delivered primary antibodies with antibody-nanoparticle conjugates that provide excess binding sites for detectible secondary antibodies, ultimately leading to increased signal. Here, we investigated the use of nanoshells (NS) decorated with antibodies specific to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as a model system (EGFR-NS). We incubated one healthy and two breast cancer cell lines, each expressing different levels of EGFR, with EGFR-NS, untargeted NS, or unconjugated EGFR antibodies, as well as detectable secondary antibodies. We found that EGFR-NS consistently increased signal intensity relative to unconjugated EGFR antibodies, with a substantial 13-fold enhancement from cells expressing high levels of EGFR. Additionally, 40x more unconjugated antibodies were required to detect EGFR compared to those conjugated to NS. Our results demonstrate that antibody-nanoparticle conjugates lower the detection limit of traditional ELISAs and support further investigation of this strategy with other antibodies and nanoparticles. Owing to their enhanced sensitivity, we anticipate that nanoparticle-modified ELISAs can be used to detect low levels of biomarkers found in various diseases, such as cancers, tuberculosis, and rheumatoid arthritis, and may ultimately enable earlier diagnosis, better prognostication, and improved treatment monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret M. Billingsley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Rachel S. Riley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Emily S. Day
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
- Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
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Lu YJ, Wang P, Peng J, Wang X, Zhu YW, Shen N. Meta-analysis Reveals the Prognostic Value of Circulating Tumour Cells Detected in the Peripheral Blood in Patients with Non-Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Sci Rep 2017; 7:905. [PMID: 28424486 PMCID: PMC5430457 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01066-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Detecting circulating tumour cells (CTCs) is considered as effective and minimally invasive technique to predict the prognosis of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), but its clinical validity is still conflicting in patients without metastasis. We performed this meta-analysis to evaluate whether detection of CTCs in the peripheral blood can be used as a prognostic marker for patients with non-metastatic CRC. We performed a comprehensive search of the EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science databases (up to September 2016). Meta-analyses were conducted using a random-effects model with the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) as the effect measures. Twenty studies including 3,687 patients were eligible for inclusion. Overall analyses demonstrated that the presence of CTCs was significantly associated with aggressive disease progression (HR = 2.57, 95% CI = 1.64-4.02, P heterogeneity < 0.001, I 2 = 81.0%) and reduced disease survival (HR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.66-3.51, P heterogeneity = 0.002, I 2 = 59.7%). Subgroup analyses further supported the prognostic effect of CTCs based on different subsets, including sampling time, detection method and cancer type. Our findings suggest that detection of CTCs in the peripheral blood has the clinical utility to indicate poor prognosis in patients with non-metastatic CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Jun Lu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Institute and Department of Infectious Disease, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jing Peng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Xiong Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yao-Wu Zhu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Na Shen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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24
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Xu HT, Miao J, Liu JW, Zhang LG, Zhang QG. Prognostic value of circulating tumor cells in esophageal cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2017; 23:1310-1318. [PMID: 28275311 PMCID: PMC5323456 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i7.1310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To perform a meta-analysis of the related studies to assess whether circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be used as a prognostic marker of esophageal cancer.
METHODS PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and references in relevant studies were searched to assess the prognostic relevance of CTCs in patients with esophageal cancer. The primary outcome assessed was overall survival (OS). The meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model, with hazard ratio (HR), risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) as effect measures.
RESULTS Nine eligible studies were included involving a total of 911 esophageal cancer patients. Overall analyses revealed that CTCs-positivity predicted disease progression (HR = 2.77, 95%CI: 1.75-4.40, P < 0.0001) and reduced OS (HR = 2.67, 95%CI: 1.99-3.58, P < 0.00001). Further subgroup analyses demonstrated that CTCs-positive patients also had poor OS in different subsets. Moreover, CTCs-positivity was also significantly associated with TNM stage (RR = 1.48, 95%CI: 1.07-2.06, P = 0.02) and T stage (RR = 1.44, 95%CI: 1.13-1.84, P = 0.003) in esophageal cancer.
CONCLUSION Detection of CTCs at baseline indicates poor prognosis in patients with esophageal cancer. However, this finding relies on data from observational studies and is potentially subject to selection bias. Prospective trials are warranted.
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25
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Association between rs2853669 in TERT gene and the risk and prognosis of human cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Oncotarget 2017; 8:50864-50872. [PMID: 28881610 PMCID: PMC5584211 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.15140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The polymorphism rs2853669 within the promoter of telomerase reverse transcriptase gene (TERTp) has been debated about its role in cancer risk and prognosis. Additionally, several studies report inconsistent results concerning the modifying effect of rs2853669 on the prognostic value of TERTp mutations in cancer patients. Here, we performed this meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate the role of rs2853669 in the risk and prognosis of human cancer, and further assess its modifying impact on TERTp mutations in the survival of cancer patients. We systematically searched literature via PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE through July 2016, and included 22 eligible studies. The overall analysis (64,119 cases and 78,988 controls) demonstrated that rs2853669 did not increase or decrease the overall cancer risk. Subsequent analyses also did not reveal any association between rs2853669 and overall cancer prognosis. However, we identified a modifying effect of rs2853669 on TERTp mutations in that, among cancer patients with TERTp mutations, only those carrying the TT genotype had a poor survival (Hazard ratio = 1.56, 95% confidence interval = 1.06-2.28); subgroup analyses by cancer type also supported these results. In conclusion, our findings suggest that rs2853669 could be important for assessing the prognostic value of TERTp mutations. Future large studies are required to further validate our results.
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26
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Hwang WL, Hwang KL, Miyamoto DT. The promise of circulating tumor cells for precision cancer therapy. Biomark Med 2016; 10:1269-1285. [PMID: 27924634 PMCID: PMC5827810 DOI: 10.2217/bmm-2016-0192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapidly growing array of therapeutic options in cancer requires informative biomarkers to guide the rational selection and precision application of appropriate therapies. Circulating biomarkers such as circulating tumor cells have immense potential as noninvasive, serial 'liquid biopsies' that may be more representative of the complete spectrum of a patient's individual malignancy than spatially and temporally restricted tumor biopsies. In this review, we discuss the current state-of-the-art in the isolation and molecular characterization of circulating tumor cells as well as their utility in a wide range of clinical applications such as prognostics, treatment monitoring and identification of novel therapeutic targets and resistance mechanisms to enable real-time adjustments in the clinical management of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- William L Hwang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Katie L Hwang
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David T Miyamoto
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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