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. 2013 Dec 4;5(4):1676-90.
doi: 10.3390/cancers5041676.

Circulating tumor cells in prostate cancer

Brian Hu  1 , Holly Rochefort, Amir Goldkorn
Affiliations

Circulating tumor cells in prostate cancer

Brian Hu et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can provide a non-invasive, repeatable snapshot of an individual patient's tumor. In prostate cancer, CTC enumeration has been extensively studied and validated as a prognostic tool and has received FDA clearance for use in monitoring advanced disease. More recently, CTC analysis has been shifting from enumeration to more sophisticated molecular characterization of captured cells, which serve as a "liquid biopsy" of the tumor, reflecting molecular changes in an individual's malignancy over time. Here we will review the main CTC studies in advanced and localized prostate cancer, highlighting the important gains as well as the challenges posed by various approaches, and their implications for advancing prostate cancer management.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CTC isolation techniques. Immunoaffinity utilizes EpCAM antibodies bound to (a) magnetic beads (CellSearch®); (b) microposts (CTC-chip); or (c) an in-vivo wire. Size-based techniques use (d) pore, slot filters or (e) microcrescents. Other techniques include (f) dielectrophoresis and (g) high speed laser scanning.
Figure 2
Figure 2
CTC count and survival in castration-resistant prostate cancer. Probability of survival stratified by post-treatment CTC count. CTC count ≥5 at 4 weeks was associated with shorter overall survival compared with patients with CTC counts of <5 (reprinted from [39] with permission of Elsevier).
Figure 3
Figure 3
CTC count and time to castration-resistant prostate cancer. Kaplan-Meier survival curves in HSPC (reprinted from [42] with permission of Elsevier).
Figure 4
Figure 4
CTC count analyzed as continuous variable. Estimated median survival time according to baseline CTC count. Higher CTC count is associated with worse survival. X represents death; O represents lost to follow-up (reprinted from [45] with permission of Elsevier).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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