Three press releases from the 33rd Annual Cancer Therapy and Research Center–American Association of Cancer Research San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium indicate that the presence of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) is prognostic for cancer recurrence and poor survival in women with early- and late-stage breast cancer.

Results from SUCCESS, a randomized Phase III trial, which is assessing the effect of docetaxel and gemcitabine as adjuvant therapies in patients with early-stage breast cancer, indicate that women with one to four CTCs in their blood after surgery, but before receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, have an 88% increased risk of early disease recurrence and a 91% increased risk of death from this disease. Women who had five or more CTCs in their blood sample had a fourfold increased risk of disease recurrence and a threefold increased risk for death. The presence of CTCs before treatment was an independent predictor for both disease-free (hazard ratio (HR) 1.88) and overall survival (HR 1.91). However, additional prospective, randomized trials are required to verify these initial findings.

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