Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most frequent pancreatic cancer type, characterized by a dismal prognosis due to late diagnosis, frequent metastases, and limited therapeutic response to standard chemotherapy. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are a rare subset of tumor cells found in the blood of cancer patients. CTCs has the potential utility for screening, early and definitive diagnosis, prognostic and predictive assessment, and offers the potential for personalized management. However, a gold-standard CTC detection and enrichment method remains elusive, hindering comprehensive comparisons between studies. In this review, we summarize data regarding the utility of CTCs at different stages of PDAC from early to metastatic disease and discuss the molecular profiling and culture of CTCs. The characterization of CTCs brings us closer to defining the specific CTC subpopulation responsible for metastasis with the potential to uncover new therapies and more effective management options for PDAC.
Highlights
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neu-Over recent decades, advances in cancer detection, monitoring, and management have dramatically improved the survival rates and quality of life in cancer patients
Considering that the majority of Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients are diagnosed with advanced disease and are given first line chemotherapy of either FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine with nabpaclitaxel, Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) could be used to identify which chemotherapy option would be best for the individual and, to identify a given patient’s eligibility to receive investigational therapies
Most studies have focused on characterizing the metastatic ability of CTCs using cancer stem cell markers and mesenchymal markers, as it is thought that this will determine the subpopulation that is responsible for metastasis
Summary
Advances in cancer detection, monitoring, and management have dramatically improved the survival rates and quality of life in cancer patients. Pancreatic cancer has not shared these improvements with the 5-year survival rate remaining below 10% [1]. Surgical resection remains the only potentially curative treatment option for PDAC patients, less than 20% are suitable at diagnosis due to metastatic disease [4]. The 1-year survival rate following surgery is 20% with almost 80% of these patients developing recurrence [5]. Response rates and survival improvements are limited, and chemotherapy-related toxicities reduce their wider utility [8,9]. There is a need for superior biomarkers which can help stratify patients based on their risk of progression, recurrence and chemotherapy response, thereby enabling optimal and effective treatment management for patients
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call