Interrelationships of circulating tumor cells with metastasis and thrombosis: role of microRNAs
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Updated: May 3, 2026

Micromanipulation of Circulating Tumor Cells for Downstream Molecular Analysis and Metastatic Potential Assessment
Published on: May 14, 2019
Junli Xue, Victoria K Xie, Peipei Wang
1Department of Neuro- Oncology, Unit 1002, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA, 77030. zhiminlu@mdanderson.org.
Abstract:
Metastasis and thrombosis are serious threats to cancer patients and generally associated with poor prognosis. The elusive mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of metastasis and thrombosis have been subjects of extensive investigations. The presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is closely related to tumor metastasis, and these cells play an important role in thrombosis in cancer patients. In this review, we describe the latest findings on the role of CTCs in tumor metastasis and cancer-related thrombosis and the regulatory role of microRNAs in CTCs and thrombosis. Additionally, we discuss anticoagulant-based strategies for the prevention of thrombosis and reduction of cancer metastasis and the potential to translate current knowledge on these strategies to the treatment of cancer.
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