Detection and characterization of disseminated tumor cells present in bone marrow of cancer patients

Abstract

Early tumor cell dissemination occurs even in patients with small solid tumors, and bone marrow (BM) is a common homing organ for blood-borne disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) derived from primary tumors. Immunocytochemical or molecular assays allow the detection of a single DTC in BM at a frequency of one tumor cell in one million surrounding hematopoietic cells; e.g., tumor cells are frequently detected in the BM of breast cancer patients without clinical or even histopathologic signs of metastasis. Evidence has emerged that the detection of DTCs and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood may provide important prognostic information and, in addition, might help to monitor efficacy of therapy.