Fig. 1

Common cytology of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in mitosis, isolated from patients with breast cancer. Representative images of a the “classical” CTC in interphase (the most commonly found morphology), b prophase CTC with condensing chromatin, c metaphase CTC with condensed chromatin lining up along the axis, d metaphase/anaphase where two chromatins are separating along the cell plate, e anaphase where two chromosome sets are moving to cell poles, f telophase showing two cell envelopes and a contractile ring at the center of the cell, g cytokinesis showing the contractile ring pinching the cell into two, and h late cytokinesis during which the nuclear envelopes are reformed, contractile ring almost complete and chromatin has expanded. Blue 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole-positive nuclei, green cytokeratin. Scale bar 15 μm