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Updated: Jun 25, 2026
Adaptation of Semiautomated Circulating Tumor Cell CTC Assays for Clinical and Preclinical Research Applications
Published on: February 28, 2014
Circulating tumor cells: a valuable indicator for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Ting Liu1, Jing Liu2, Guimei Wang1
1Department of Radiation Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Background:
Advancements in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treatment have led to a focus on personalized treatment. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are important for liquid biopsies and personalized treatment but are not being fully utilized. This study examined how pre- and post-treatment CTC counts, EMT subtypes, clinical characteristics, and patient prognosis are related in order to support the use of liquid biopsy in managing NPC.
Methods:
This retrospective study included 141 patients with locally advanced NPC. All patients underwent CanPatrol™ CTC detection pre- and post-treatment and were categorized into EMT subtypes: epithelial type, mixed type, and mesenchymal type. This study analyzed CTC enumeration, EMT subtypes, and their associations with clinical characteristics and survival outcomes.
Results:
The results indicated a positive correlation between the pre-treatment detection rate of CTCs and N stage (P < 0.01), alongside a positive correlation with the TNM clinical stage (P = 0.02). Additionally, the detection rate of mesenchymal CTCs post-treatment is positively associated with the N stage (P = 0.02). The enumeration of CTCs pre- and post-treatment is negatively correlated with prognosis and has statistical significance. Additionally, an investigation into the EMT subtypes of CTCs revealed a significant association between the presence of mesenchymal CTCs pre- and post-treatment and decreased overall survival (OS) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, T stage, N stage, TNM clinical stage, and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA were also significantly correlated with OS.
Conclusion:
The study found that mesenchymal CTCs pre- and post-treatment, as well as the number of CTCs, were linked to a poor prognosis.
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