Prospective Evaluation of a Circulating Tumor Cell Sensitivity Profile to Predict Response to Cisplatin Chemotherapy in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients.

Background: Cisplatin (cDDP) has regained interest for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients, given the platinum sensitivity in subtypes and better manageable toxicity. Here, the primary aim was to determine whether molecular characteristics of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) could identify patients responding to cDDP and to describe the outcomes to cDDP monotherapy in a large group of MBC patients pretreated with anthracycline- and taxane-based treatments.

Methods: Based on cell line data, a CTC-cDDP-sensitivity profile was generated.

Androgen receptor expression in circulating tumor cells of patients with metastatic breast cancer.

The androgen receptor (AR) has potential clinical relevance in metastatic breast cancer (mBC) since it might be a treatment target and has been associated with endocrine resistance. A minimal-invasive way to determine AR expression on metastatic tumor cells is by characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Here, we assessed AR mRNA expression in CTCs (CTC-AR) and in matched primary tumor samples from mBC patients representing different breast cancer subtypes.

Development and psychometric evaluation of a Dutch-translated shorter Breast Cancer Treatment Outcome Scale (Dutch BCTOS-13).

Purpose: To create a Dutch translated short version of the Breast Cancer Treatment Outcome Scale (BCTOS) and validate it in patients who have completed both breast conserving surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy.

Methods: The BCTOS consists of items comparing the treated with the untreated breast. After forward and backward translation, we tested the BCTOS-12 plus 5 additional items.

An Optimized Workflow to Evaluate Estrogen Receptor Gene Mutations in Small Amounts of Cell-Free DNA.

The detection of mutated genes in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in plasma has emerged as an important minimally invasive way to obtain detailed information regarding tumor biology. Reliable determination of circulating tumor-derived DNA, often present at a low quantity amidst an excess of normal DNA in plasma, would be of added value for screening and monitoring of cancer patients and for hypothesis-generating studies in valuable retrospective cohorts. Our aim was to establish a workflow to simultaneously assess four hotspot estrogen receptor mutations (mESR1) in cfDNA isolated from only 200 μL of plasma by means of uniplex or multiplex pre-amplification combined with digital PCR.

Clinical and inflammatory phenotyping by breathomics in chronic airway diseases irrespective of the diagnostic label.

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are complex and overlapping diseases that include inflammatory phenotypes. Novel anti-eosinophilic/anti-neutrophilic strategies demand rapid inflammatory phenotyping, which might be accessible from exhaled breath.Our objective was to capture clinical/inflammatory phenotypes in patients with chronic airway disease using an electronic nose (eNose) in a training and validation set.

Estrogen receptor mutations and splice variants determined in liquid biopsies from metastatic breast cancer patients.

Mutations and splice variants in the estrogen receptor (ER) gene, ESR1, may yield endocrine resistance in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients. These putative endocrine resistance markers are likely to emerge during treatment, and therefore, its detection in liquid biopsies, such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and cell-free DNA (cfDNA), is of great interest. This research aimed to determine whether ESR1 mutations and splice variants occur more frequently in CTCs of MBC patients progressing on endocrine treatment.

Prognostic Impact of HER2 and ER Status of Circulating Tumor Cells in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients with a HER2-Negative Primary Tumor.

Background: Preclinical and clinical studies have reported that human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression yields resistance to endocrine therapies. Here the prevalence and prognostic impact of HER2-positive circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were investigated retrospectively in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients with a HER2-negative primary tumor receiving endocrine therapy. Additionally, the prevalence and prognostic significance of HER2-positive CTCs were explored in a chemotherapy cohort, as well as the prognostic impact of the estrogen receptor (ER) CTC status in both cohorts.

An 8-gene mRNA expression profile in circulating tumor cells predicts response to aromatase inhibitors in metastatic breast cancer patients.

Background: Molecular characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTC) is promising for personalized medicine. We aimed to identify a CTC gene expression profile predicting outcome to first-line aromatase inhibitors in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients.

Methods: CTCs were isolated from 78 MBC patients before treatment start.

Gene expression profiles of circulating tumor cells versus primary tumors in metastatic breast cancer.

Before using circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as liquid biopsy, insight into molecular discrepancies between CTCs and primary tumors is essential. We characterized CellSearch-enriched CTCs from 62 metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients with ≥5 CTCs starting first-line systemic treatment. Expression levels of 35 tumor-associated, CTC-specific genes, including ESR1, coding for the estrogen receptor (ER), were measured by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and correlated to corresponding primary tumors.

Gene expression profiles in circulating tumor cells to predict prognosis in metastatic breast cancer patients.

Background: A circulating tumor cell (CTC) count is an established prognostic factor in metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Besides enumeration, CTC characterization promises to improve outcome prediction and treatment guidance. Having shown the feasibility of quantifying clinically relevant mRNA transcripts in CTCs, we determined the prognostic value of CTC gene expression in MBC.

Thyroid morphology in lethal non-thyroidal illness: a post-mortem study.

Objective: Non-thyroidal illness (NTI) is associated with alterations in thyroid hormone metabolism. Whether morphological changes of the thyroid gland accompany NTI is unknown. The aim of the present study was to describe thyroid morphology in patients with lethal non-thyroidal disease.