Circulating Tumor Cells and Early Relapse in Node-positive Melanoma

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Melanoma Research
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Stage III melanoma requires reliable biomarkers for clinical decision-making.
• Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) show potential but lack extensive data in stage III disease.
• Early relapse prediction is crucial for effective treatment strategies in melanoma.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the association between circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and early relapse in stage III melanoma.
• To evaluate CTCs as a prognostic biomarker for relapse-free survival (RFS) in stage III melanoma patients.

Main Methods:

• Prospective assessment of CTCs at baseline in 243 stage III melanoma patients using the CellSearch System.
• Comparison of relapse-free survival (RFS) between patients with and without baseline CTCs.
• Statistical analysis using log-rank test and Cox regression to determine the association of CTCs with RFS.

Main Results:

• 37% of patients had at least one baseline CTC detected.
• Detection of ≥1 baseline CTC was significantly associated with decreased 6-month RFS (P < 0.0001) and 54-month RFS (P = 0.01).
• CTC detection was not correlated with melanoma substage or primary tumor characteristics.

Conclusions:

• Baseline CTC detection is an independent predictor of melanoma relapse.
• CTC assessment can help identify high-risk stage III melanoma patients.
• CTCs may guide the selection of patients who could benefit from adjuvant therapy.