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Circulating Tumor Cells and the CellSearch Assay



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Progression-Free Survival in MPC

Slide 22

April 2011

Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed to determine whether circulating tumor cell counts could predict progression-free survival. Patients were separated into 2 groups based on their circulating tumor cell count. The graph on the left shows the results of baseline circulating tumor cell counts. The favorable group (n = 94) represented patients with a baseline circulating tumor cell count >5, while the unfavorable group (n = 125) represented patients with a baseline count =5. The median progression-free survival was approximately 5.8 months for the favorable group and 4.2 months for the unfavorable group.

The graph on the right shows that monitoring circulating tumor cells levels during the course of treatment provides additional prognostic information. A reduction of circulating tumor cells to below 5 after the start of therapy predicted longer progression-free survival in metastatic prostate cancer patients. Patients who had <5 circulating tumor cells for all time points had the longest median progression-free survival (6.5 months) of all groups. Patients who had =5 circulating tumor cells for all time points had the worst prognosis and had the shortest median progression-free survival (2.5 months) than the other 3 groups. Interestingly, patients with =5 circulating tumor cells at baseline who had a reduction in circulating tumor cells to <5 at the last draw showed significantly longer progression-free survival (7.3 months) than the group that had an increase of circulating tumor cells from <5 circulating tumor cells at baseline to =5 at last draw with a median progression-free survival time of 4.2 months.

Progression-Free Survival in MPC

 


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