Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Metastasis02:30

Metastasis

Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant locations in the body. Cancer cells can spread via blood vessels (hematogenous) as well as lymph vessels in the body.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
Tumor Progression02:07

Tumor Progression

Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance02:40

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Switching to camizestrant at ESR1 mutation emergence before disease progression during first-line treatment of hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer (SERENA-6): extended analysis of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, phase 3 trial.

The Lancet. Oncology·2026
Same author

Improved Surfactant-Assisted One-Pot Sample Preparation for Robust Convenient Single-Cell Proteomics.

Journal of proteome research·2026
Same author

Circulating tumor DNA in early breast cancer: Evidence, challenges, next steps.

Cancer·2026
Same author

Bioinformatics of Shallow Whole Genome Sequencing Data of Circulating Tumor Cells to Inform Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026
Same author

SERENA-6 interpretation and clinical implications: intercepting endocrine resistance in metastatic breast cancer.

NPJ breast cancer·2026
Same author

Erratum: VIKTORIA-1 Trial of Gedatolisib Plus Fulvestrant With or Without Palbociclib in Hormone Receptor-Positive/HER2-/PIK3CA Wild-Type Advanced Breast Cancer.

Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Micromanipulation of Circulating Tumor Cells for Downstream Molecular Analysis and Metastatic Potential Assessment
05:17

Micromanipulation of Circulating Tumor Cells for Downstream Molecular Analysis and Metastatic Potential Assessment

Published on: May 14, 2019

The biological information obtainable from circulating tumor cells.

Massimo Cristofanilli1

  • 1Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77230, USA. mcristof@mdanderson.org

Breast (Edinburgh, Scotland)
|November 17, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) offers real-time prognosis. CTCs may differ from primary tumors, suggesting new targeted therapy options based on genomic profiling.

More Related Videos

Detection of Cell-Free DNA in Blood Plasma Samples of Cancer Patients
08:25

Detection of Cell-Free DNA in Blood Plasma Samples of Cancer Patients

Published on: September 9, 2020

Circulating Tumor Cell Lines: an Innovative Tool for Fundamental and Translational Research
07:47

Circulating Tumor Cell Lines: an Innovative Tool for Fundamental and Translational Research

Published on: December 25, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Micromanipulation of Circulating Tumor Cells for Downstream Molecular Analysis and Metastatic Potential Assessment
05:17

Micromanipulation of Circulating Tumor Cells for Downstream Molecular Analysis and Metastatic Potential Assessment

Published on: May 14, 2019

Detection of Cell-Free DNA in Blood Plasma Samples of Cancer Patients
08:25

Detection of Cell-Free DNA in Blood Plasma Samples of Cancer Patients

Published on: September 9, 2020

Circulating Tumor Cell Lines: an Innovative Tool for Fundamental and Translational Research
07:47

Circulating Tumor Cell Lines: an Innovative Tool for Fundamental and Translational Research

Published on: December 25, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are crucial biomarkers in metastatic breast cancer (MBC).
  • Current technologies enable reliable CTC detection and analysis for prognostic assessment.
  • CTCs may offer insights into treatment response and disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prognostic value of CTC detection in MBC.
  • To explore the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of CTCs.
  • To assess the potential of CTCs for guiding targeted therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Immunomagnetic separation and CellSpotter analysis for CTC detection.
  • EpCAM-enrichment and PCR analysis (AdnaTest) for genotypic characterization.
  • Correlation of CTC gene expression with primary and metastatic lesions.

Main Results:

  • CTC detection provides prognostic value independent of therapy line, metastasis site, or disease subtype.
  • CTCs show differential expression of hormone receptors and HER-2 compared to primary tumors.
  • A fraction of CTCs may exhibit cancer stem cell characteristics.

Conclusions:

  • CTC detection is a valuable tool for real-time assessment in MBC.
  • Genomic profiling of CTCs reveals differences from primary tumors, especially regarding HER-2.
  • CTCs hold potential for personalized targeted therapy selection in breast cancer.