Evaluation of proliferation and apoptosis markers in circulating tumor cells of women with early breast cancer who are candidates for tumor dormancy

Table 3 Numbers of total, proliferative and apoptotic CTCs in serial samples during the dormancy period for DC with late relapse (n = 8)

Patient number	Dormancy period (yrs)	Test no/(time since surgery yrs)	Status	Total CTCs	Dormant ^a/Total (%)	Nondormant ^d/Total (%)	Proliferative ^b/Nondormant ^d(%)	Apoptotic ^c/Nondormant ^d(%)
1	6	1/3 (5y)	DF	1	100	0	0	0
1	6	2/3 (5.5y)	DF	4	87.5	12.5	100	0
		3/3 (6y)	R	3	83.3	16.7	100	0
2	7	1/4 (5y)	DF	12	50	50	100	0
		2/4 (5.5y)	DF	215	93	7	80	20
		3/4 (6.5y)	DF	2	50	50	100	0
		4/4 (7y)	R	1	0	0	100	0
3	10.5	1/5 (5.5y)	DF	0	0	0	0	0
		2/5 (6y)	DF	0	0	0	0	0
		3/5 (8y)	DF	22	50	50	36.4	63.6
		4/5 (10y)	DF	0	0	0	0	0
		5/5 (10.5y)	R	0.5	100	0	0	0
4	9.5	1/5 (5y)	DF	1	100	0	0	0
		2/5 (5.5y)	DF	9	89	11	0	100
		3/5 (6.5y)	DF	57	91.3	8.7	20	80
		4/5 (7.5y)	DF	1	100	0	0	0
		5/5 (9.5y)	R	0	0	0	0	0
5	11	1/4 (5y)	DF	9.5	100	0	0	0
		2/4 (6y)	DF	38	87.3	12.7	3.5	96.5
		3/4 (10y)	DF	0	0	0	0	0
		4/4 (11y)	R	0	0	0	0	0
6	10.5	1/7 (5.5y)	DF	0	0	0	0	0
		2/7 (7y)	DF	0	0	0	0	0
		3/7 (7.5y)	DF	0	0	0	0	0
		4/7 (8y)	DF	0	0	0	0	0
		5/7 (9y)	DF	2.5	60	40	100	0
		6/7 (10y)	DF	0.5	100	0	0	0
		7/7 (10.5y)	R	9	50	50	100	0
7	15	1/3 (11y)	DF	5	100	0	0	0
7	15	2/3 (12y)	DF	2	100	0	0	0
		3/3 (15y)	R	0.5	100	0	0	0
8	11	1/4 (6.5y)	DF	0	0	0	0	0
		2/4 (7y)	DF	0	0	0	0	0
		3/4 (7.5y)	DF	1	100	0	0	0
		4/4 (11y)	R	0.5	100	0	0	0

^aKi67(-)/M30(-) CTCs, ^bKi67(+)/M30(-) CTCs, ^cKi67(-)/M30(+), ^dKi67(+)/M30(-) or Ki67(-)/M30(+) CTCs. CTCs, circulating tumor cells; DC, dormancy candidates; DF, disease-free; R, on relapse.

ISSN: 1465-542X