Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) using the CellSearch (CS) Assay™ in patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and then to identify the clinical factors predictive of the presence of CTCs. The presence and number of CTCs were determined using the CS system before treatment, and in 10 healthy individuals (control group). The CS system was able to successfully identify the presence of CTCs in 8 of 49 patients (16 %) before therapy. No CTC was found in the control group. CTCs were detected before therapy in 1 of 19 patients (5 %) with N0 tumor and in 7 of 30 patients (23 %) with N1-2c tumor (p = 0.12; Fisher's exact test). CTCs were identified in a relatively low proportion of patients with locally advanced HNSCC.
MeSH terms
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Aged
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Antigens, Neoplasm / metabolism
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Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism*
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Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / diagnosis
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Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / metabolism*
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Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / pathology
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Case-Control Studies
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Cell Adhesion Molecules / metabolism
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Cell Count
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Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule
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Female
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Head and Neck Neoplasms / diagnosis
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Head and Neck Neoplasms / metabolism*
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Head and Neck Neoplasms / pathology
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Humans
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Keratins / metabolism
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Mouth Neoplasms / diagnosis
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Mouth Neoplasms / metabolism
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Mouth Neoplasms / pathology
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Neoplasm Staging
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Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / metabolism*
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Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / diagnosis
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Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / metabolism
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Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / pathology
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Prognosis
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Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
Substances
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Antigens, Neoplasm
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Biomarkers, Tumor
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Cell Adhesion Molecules
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EPCAM protein, human
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Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule
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Keratins