Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26260915›Full record

SynthesisClinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico2016

Prognostic value of circulating tumor cells in metastatic breast cancer: a systemic review and meta-analysis.

Q Lv, L Gong, T Zhang, J Ye, L Chai, C Ni, Y Mao

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
37citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
5.2field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

37 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 74 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  4. The effect of aspirin on circulating tumor cells in metastatic colorectal and breast cancer patients: a phase II trial study.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2018
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  8. The Combined Assessment of CTC andInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Q LvCancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, National Ministry of Education, Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China.
L GongDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Affiliated Cixi Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Cixi, 315300, China.
T ZhangCancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, National Ministry of Education, Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China.
J YeCancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, National Ministry of Education, Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China.
L ChaiDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, First Affiliated Hospital, Medical School, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
C NiDepartment of Breast Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou, 310004, China.
Y MaoDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, First Affiliated Hospital, Medical School, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China. davenc@163.com.
Zhejiang University · CNFirst Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University · CNWenzhou Medical University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveMetastatic breast cancer (MBC) remains the main cause of cancer-related death, and the clinical significance and prognostic role of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in metastatic breast cancer are still controversial. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to clarify the correlation between CTCs and the clinicopathological features and prognosis of MBC.

methodsWe performed a comprehensive search of Pubmed and the ISI Web of Science through December 2014. Only articles that focused on MBC patients and detected CTCs using the CellSearch system were included. The associations between CTCs and survival rate and clinicopathological parameters, including molecular pattern, metastatic region and treatment response, were evaluated.

resultsThis meta-analysis included 24 studies (3701 MBC patients), 13 prospective studies and 11 retrospective studies. We found that CTCs were more frequently detected with HER2 + primary tumors (pooled RR = 0.73, 95 % CI = 0.63-0.84). Additionally, higher CTC numbers indicated a worse treatment response (RR = 0.56, 95 % CI = 0.40-0.79), poorer PFS (RR = 0.64, 95 % CI = 0.56-0.73) and poorer OS (RR = 0.69, 95 % CI = 0.64-0.75) in MBC patients.

conclusionBased on these results, we propose that HER2 positivity could be a significant risk factor for the presence of CTCs. Additionally, CTCs have a significant prognostic value for MBC patients. Therefore, CTCs should be continually monitored to guide the treatment of MBC patients, especially those with HER2 + primary tumors.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsDisease-Free SurvivalErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesFemaleHumansNeoplastic Cells, CirculatingPrognosisERBB2 protein, humanErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesBreast cancerCirculating tumor cellsHer2Meta-analysisPrognosis

Identifiers

PMID26260915
OpenAlexW1918973407

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.