Dissemination of Circulating Tumor Cells in Breast and Prostate Cancer: Implications for Early Detection

Overview

Journal Endocrinology

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Endocrinology

Date 2024 Feb 17

PMID 38366552

Authors

Song Yi Bae

Kaylee Judith Kamalanathan

Catalina Galeano-Garces

Badrinath R Konety

Emmanuel S Antonarakis

Jayant Parthasarathy

Jiarong Hong

Justin M Drake

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Burgeoning evidence suggests that circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may disseminate into blood vessels at an early stage, seeding metastases in various cancers such as breast and prostate cancer. Simultaneously, the early-stage CTCs that settle in metastatic sites [termed disseminated tumor cells (DTCs)] can enter dormancy, marking a potential source of late recurrence and therapy resistance. Thus, the presence of these early CTCs poses risks to patients but also holds potential benefits for early detection and treatment and opportunities for possibly curative interventions. This review delves into the role of early DTCs in driving latent metastasis within breast and prostate cancer, emphasizing the importance of early CTC detection in these diseases. We further explore the correlation between early CTC detection and poor prognoses, which contribute significantly to increased cancer mortality. Consequently, the detection of CTCs at an early stage emerges as a critical imperative for enhancing clinical diagnostics and allowing for early interventions.

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