Circulating Epithelial Cell Characterization and Correlation with Remission and Survival in Patients with Thyroid Cancer.

Background: Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine tumor and generally has relatively good clinical outcomes. However, 15-20% of patients ultimately develop recurrence or disease-related death. The appropriate prognostic factors for thyroid cancer are still elusive.

Circulating epithelial cell counts for monitoring the therapeutic outcome of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Loco-regional recurrence or distant metastasis usually leads to the death of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Whether or not circulating epithelial cells (CECs) count is a valuable marker in monitoring the therapeutic outcome of PTC was investigated. Patients with PTC (n=129) were treated in our medical center and were categorized into 4 groups with excellent (n=45), biochemical incomplete (n=15), indeterminate (n=37), and structural incomplete (n=32) responses.