Association Between Baseline Circulating Tumor Cells, Molecular Tumor Profiling, and Clinical Characteristics in a Large Cohort of Chemo-naïve Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients Prospectively Collected.

Background: Clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic and predictive factors offer valuable guidance when selecting optimal first-line treatment in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). The association between baseline circulating tumor cell (bCTC) count, molecular tumor profile, and clinicopathologic features was analyzed in a chemo-naïve metastatic CRC population.

Patients And Methods: A total of 1202 patients from the Spanish VISNÚ-1 (FOLFIRINOX/bevacizumab vs.

Genetic alterations of IDH1 and Vegf in brain tumors.

Background: This study evaluates the presence of R132H mutation in isocitrate dehydrogenase () gene and the vascular endothelial growth factor () +936 C/T polymorphism in brain tumors. The impact of these genetic alterations on overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) was evaluated.

Methods: A cohort of 80 patients surgically treated at Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, between March 2004 and November 2012, was analyzed.

Effect of β-catenin alterations in the prognosis of patients with sporadic colorectal cancer.

Context: Wnt pathway activation represents a critical step in the etiology of most of colorectal cancer (CRC) and it is commonly due to mutations in the APC gene, which originates the loss of β-catenin regulatory function. It has been suggested that APC inactivation or β-catenin alteration have similar effects in tumor progression in CRC tumorigenesis.

Aims: The aim of this study was to analyze the frequency of β-catenin gene mutation in patients with sporadic CRC and to determine its effect in prognosis.

seqCNA: an R package for DNA copy number analysis in cancer using high-throughput sequencing.

Background: Deviations in the amount of genomic content that arise during tumorigenesis, called copy number alterations, are structural rearrangements that can critically affect gene expression patterns. Additionally, copy number alteration profiles allow insight into cancer discrimination, progression and complexity. On data obtained from high-throughput sequencing, improving quality through GC bias correction and keeping false positives to a minimum help build reliable copy number alteration profiles.

Circulating tumor cells following first chemotherapy cycle: an early and strong predictor of outcome in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

We investigated the prognostic significance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) determined immediately before the second cycle of chemotherapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The CTC counts were taken at baseline, before the first cycle of chemotherapy (CTC-0), and on day 21 before commencing the second cycle of chemotherapy (CTC-21) in consecutive MBC patients. The study's primary objectives were to analyze relationships between CTC-21 count and overall survival (OS).

Vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D therapy in chronic hepatitis C.

Background: Vitamin D has immunomodulatory properties, exerts an anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) effect in vitro and improves response to interferon-based therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Low serum levels of 25(OH) vitamin D [25(OH)D] are frequently found in CHC patients and seem to be related to more advanced stages of liver fibrosis. The study aims to establish the incidence of vitamin D deficiency in Spanish patients with CHC, its possible relation with features of liver damage and with the IL28B gene polymorphism, and the immediate effect of vitamin D therapy on CHC-related analytical variables.

Serum level of fibroblast growth factor 23 in maintenance renal transplant patients.

Background: The discovery of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) provides a new conceptual framework that improves our understanding of the pathogenesis of post-transplant bone disease. Excess FGF23 is produced in the early post-transplant period; levels return to normal in the months following transplant. However, few manuscripts discuss FGF23 levels in stable long-term renal transplant recipients.

p16 gene methylation in colorectal cancer patients with long-term follow-up.

Introduction: p16 gene plays an important role in the cell cycle regulation and is considered an important tumor suppressor gene. Several mechanisms of gene inactivation have been described; in this study we have focused on p16 gene promoter methylation. In colorectal cancer p16 gene methylation is a frequent event.

Circulating tumor cells in solid tumor in metastatic and localized stages.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTC) in three tumor types of epithelial origin.

Patients And Methods: Four hundred and thirty-eight patients with breast cancer (56.2% localized and 43.

Circulating tumor cells in metastatic breast cancer: timing of blood extraction for analysis.

Purpose: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be detected in the peripheral blood of around 50% of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Their numbers are an independent predictor of the patient's progression-free survival (PFS) and of overall survival (OS). However, to date, none of the studies carried out with the most commonly used system of CTC determination (the CellSearch System, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration) has examined the intra-patient variation in CTC numbers, a variation that could impact on prognosis assessment.

Circulating tumour cells in locally advanced breast cancer.

Material And Methods: A prospective study was conducted to determine the value of changes in circulating tumour cell (CTC) levels prior to and after the first cycle of neoadjuvant treatment in early prediction of pathologic response in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). Two blood samples were obtained from 72 eligible LABC patients to isolate and enumerate CTCs before neoadjuvant chemotherapy started on day 1, and on day 21, immediately before second cycle administration.

Results: Sixty patients (83.