Clin Breast Cancer. 2026 May 14;26(7):24-29. doi: 10.1016/j.clbc.2026.05.005. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are frequently detected in patients with breast cancer, but key studies investigating their clinical significance in early-stage disease rely on less-sensitive methods for CTC detection.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence and prognostic implications of CTCs in patients undergoing NAC for early-stage breast cancer.
DESIGN: This was a single-center prospective cohort study. Patients with early-stage breast cancer who were planned to receive NAC were enrolled.
METHODS: CTCs were measured before NAC and again at least 4 weeks following definitive surgery using the Epic Sciences platform. Clinical, pathological, and treatment data were abstracted from electronic medical records and summarized.
RESULTS: A total of 40 patients comprised the analyzable study population. The median age at diagnosis was 53 years. Breast cancer subtypes included HER2+ (38%), hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative (HR+/HER2-, 32%), and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC, 25%). After a median follow-up of 39.8 months, only 5 patients (12%) had experienced disease recurrence. CTCs were detected in 82% of patients before treatment and 45% of patients after treatment (P = .001). All subgroups of patients had numerically lower rates of CTC prevalence post-treatment compared to pretreatment; subgroups in whom this difference was statistically significant included patients with TNBC (90% vs. 30%, P = .006), premenopausal patients (79% vs. 29%, P = .008), and patients who did not experience disease recurrence (80% vs. 43%, P = .001).
CONCLUSION: CTCs are more prevalent both before and after NAC than had previously been reported. The clinical significance of their persistence warrants further investigation.
PMID:42284652 | DOI:10.1016/j.clbc.2026.05.005
