Carolina Reduzzi, Assistant Professor and Director of the Liquid Biopsy Platform and Cristofanilli Circulating Tumor Cells Laboratory at Weill Cornell Medicine, shared a LinkedIn post by Lorenzo Gerratana, Associate Professor of Medicine and Scientific Lead for Breast Medical Oncology at the CRO Aviano National Cancer Institute and the University of Udine, adding:
“How can we combine CTCs and ctDNA to refine therapeutic strategies in metastatic breast cancer?
Read about it in our new paper!”
Quoting Lorenzo Gerratana‘s post:
“What are the current clinical opportunities of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in breast cancer?
CTCs are a well-established prognostic biomarker, particularly in metastatic breast cancer:
– stage IV aggressive: ≥5 CTCs/7.5 mL → associated with shorter survival
– stage IV indolent: <5 CTCs/7.5 mL → less aggressive disease
Why does this matter?
CTC dynamics can inform treatment intensity – as shown in trials like STIC CTC – and may be integrated with other liquid biopsy components (e.g., ctDNA) to further refine therapeutic decisions.
In our review, we propose a clinical trial model where:
• Patients are stratified by CTC count and phenotype
• Treatment is intensified or de-intensified accordingly
• Longitudinal CTC/ctDNA monitoring guides adaptive interventions
• Outcomes are evaluated in the context of molecular profiles
This biomarker-driven approach could help tailor therapy beyond conventional clinical or imaging criteria, moving toward truly personalized oncology. ”
Mapping breast cancer therapy with circulating tumor cells: The expert perspective
Authors: Lorenzo Gerratana, Carolina Reduzzi et al.
Learn more about breast cancer on OncoDaily.
