Circulating tumor cells as early predictors of metastatic spread in breast cancer patients with limited metastatic dissemination

Table 2 Distribution of metastatic sites after treatment failure stratified by pretreatment circulating tumor cell count ^a

	Overall,N(%)	CTCs <5/7.5 ml,n(%)	CTCs ≥5/7.5 ml,n(%)	P-value
Lymph nodes/soft tissues^b	48 (9.8)	40 (13.2)	8 (4.2)	0.0009
Bone^c	337 (68.5)	180 (59.4)	157 (83.1)	<0.0001
Viscera^d	344 (69.9)	199 (65.7)	145 (76.7)	0.0114
Brain^e	59 (12.0)	30 (9.9)	29 (15.3)	0.0865

^aTreatment failure was defined as first disease progression after the baseline CTC evaluation. ^bLymph nodes/chest soft tissue only. ^cBone with or without other sites. ^dVisceral organ (including brain) with or without other sites. ^eBrain with or without other sites.

ISSN: 1465-542X