The persistence of isolated tumor cells in bone marrow from patients with breast carcinoma predicts an increased risk for recurrence.

Background: The prognostic significance of isolated tumor cells (ITCs) in bone marrow (BM) from patients with breast carcinoma at the time of their primary diagnosis recently was been confirmed by a large pooled analysis. If the persistence of ITCs after adjuvant therapy confers a similar risk for recurrence, then it would be an indication to consider secondary adjuvant therapy.

Methods: The authors analyzed BM aspirates from 228 patients during recurrence-free follow-up at a median interval +/- standard deviation (SD) of 21.

Intra-mammary tumor location does not influence prognosis but influences the prevalence of axillary lymph-node metastases.

Background: The number of axillary lymph-node metastases is not only a function of disease progression in primary breast cancer, but is also influenced by the intra-mammary location of the tumor. Nevertheless, the prognostic role of the tumor site is discussed controversially. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of primary-tumor location on axillary lymph-node involvement, relapse, and mortality risk by univariate and multivariate analysis, in patients both with and without systemic and loco-regional treatment.

Patterns of disease recurrence influenced by hematogenous tumor cell dissemination in patients with cervical carcinoma of the uterus.

Background: The presence of isolated tumor cells (ITC) in the bone marrow at the time of primary diagnosis indicates an increased risk for subsequent development of distant metastases in various solid tumors. This study evaluates the prevalence and prognostic significance of ITC in patients with primary carcinoma of the cervix uteri.

Method: We immunocytochemically analyzed bone marrow aspirates of 130 patients with newly diagnosed carcinoma of the cervix uteri for the presence of cytokeratin(CK)-positive cells from May 1994 to January 2001.