Coagulation/fibrinolysis and circulating tumor cells in patients with advanced breast cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and standard coagulation tests in both a discovery and a validation cohort of patients with advanced breast cancer.

Methods: In a retrospective (n = 77) and a prospective (n = 92) study of patients with progressive advanced breast cancer, CTC count, platelet number, fibrinogen level, D-dimers, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time were measured. The association between these coagulation studies and CTC count was analyzed.