Circulating Tumor Cells Predict Prognosis Following Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Treatment in EGFR-Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

Epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are present in 10%-26% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors and are associated with the response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). This study aimed to detect and quantify the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients and investigate their possible role in providing prognostic information. Enrolled patients received erlotinib (150 mg) or gefitinib (250 mg) orally once daily as the first-line treatment.