Platelet Cloaking of Circulating Tumour Cells in Patients with Metastatic Prostate Cancer: Results from ExPeCT, a Randomised Controlled Trial

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2020 Dec 18

PMID 33338056

Citations 11

Authors

Lauren Brady

Brian Hayes

Grainne Sheill

Anne-Marie Baird

Emer Guinan

Bryan Stanfill

Tatjana Vlajnic

Orla Casey

Verena Murphy

John Greene

Emma H Allott

Juliette Hussey

Fidelma Cahill

Mieke Van Hemelrijck

Nicola Peat

Lorelei Mucci

Moya Cunningham

Liam Grogan

Thomas Lynch

Rustom P Manecksha

John McCaffrey

Dearbhaile ODonnell

Orla Sheils

John OLeary

Sarah Rudman

Ray McDermott

Stephen Finn

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) represent a morphologically distinct subset of cancer cells, which aid the metastatic spread. The ExPeCT trial aimed to examine the effectiveness of a structured exercise programme in modulating levels of CTCs and platelet cloaking in patients with metastatic prostate cancer.

Methods: Participants (n = 61) were randomised into either standard care (control) or exercise arms. Whole blood was collected for all participants at baseline (T0), three months (T3) and six months (T6), and analysed for the presence of CTCs, CTC clusters and platelet cloaking. CTC data was correlated with clinico-pathological information.

Results: Changes in CTC number were observed within group over time, however no significant difference in CTC number was observed between groups over time. Platelet cloaking was identified in 29.5% of participants. A positive correlation between CTC number and white cell count (WCC) was observed (p = 0.0001), in addition to a positive relationship between CTC clusters and PSA levels (p = 0.0393).

Conclusion: The presence of platelet cloaking has been observed in this patient population for the first time, in addition to a significant correlation between CTC number and WCC.

Trial Registration: ClincalTrials.gov identifier NCT02453139.

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