Clin Cancer Res
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The prognostic value of circulating tumor cells (CTC) detected in breast cancer patients is currently under debate. Different time points of blood collections and various CTC assays have been used in the past decades. Here, we conducted the first comprehensive meta-analysis of published literature on the prognostic relevance of CTC, including patients with early and advanced disease. ⋯ Our present meta-analysis indicates that the detection of CTC is a stable prognosticator in patients with early-stage and metastatic breast cancer. Further studies are required to explore the clinical utility of CTC in breast cancer.
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Surgical resection remains the most effective therapy for solid tumors worldwide. The most important prognostic indicator for cure following cancer surgery is a complete resection with no residual disease. However, intraoperative detection of retained cancer cells after surgery is challenging, and residual disease continues to be the most common cause of local failure. We hypothesized that visual enhancement of tumors using near-infrared imaging could potentially identify tumor deposits in the wound after resection. ⋯ The results suggest that near-infrared examination of the surgical wound after curative resection can potentially enable the surgeon to locate residual disease. The data in this study is the basis of an ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial in patients who undergo resection for lung and breast cancer.
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A systematic analysis of clinical trials supporting rare cancer drug approvals may identify concepts and terms that can inform the effective design of prospective clinical trials for rare cancers. In this article, using annual incidence ≤6 of 100,000 individuals to define "rare cancer," we identified clinical trials for rare cancers, supporting U. S. ⋯ We concluded that one third of clinical trials supporting drug approvals for rare cancer indications were randomized, affirming the feasibility and value of randomized trial design to evaluate drugs for rare cancers. Postmarketing safety data may relate to trial design and approval type. An operational definition of "rare cancer" can be useful for the analysis of trial data and for the path toward harmonizing the terminology in the area of clinical research on rare cancers.