Circulating tumor cells (CTCs)/circulating tumor endothelial cells (CTECs) and their subtypes in small cell lung cancer: Predictors for response and prognosis

Background The aim of the study was to define the clinical significance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs)/circulating tumor endothelial cells (CTECs) and their subtypes in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients. Methods CTCs/CTECs and their subtypes were determined using SE‐iFISH technology in 33 SCLC patients before initial treatment (B1), after two cycles of chemotherapy (B2), at the completion of chemotherapy (B3), and disease progression (B4). The correlations with clinical characteristics, progression‐free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. Results CTCs and CTECs were detected in 96.6% and 65.5% of patients, respectively. Patients had higher levels of CTCs compared with CTECs in circulation (p
It has been proved in many studies that CTCs can be used as a prognostic biomarker in SCLC patients. Here, we report that CTC‐WBC clusters may also be a valuable predictor for SCLC prognosis. In this study, patients with CTC‐WBC clusters before chemotherapy (17.3 vs. 22.6 months, p = 0.041) and after two cycles of treatment (19.9 vs. 25.2 months, p = 0.018) tended to have a significantly shorter overall survival duration.