Circulating Tumor Cells as a Tool to Untangle the Breast Cancer Heterogeneity Issue
Breast cancer (BC) is a disease characterized by high degrees of heterogeneity at morphologic, genomic, and genetic levels, even within the same tumor mass or among patients. As a consequence, different subpopulations coexist and less represented clones may have a selective advantage, significantly...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Biomedicines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/9/9/1242 |
| _version_ | 1797520120717770752 |
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| author | Tania Rossi Giulia Gallerani Giovanni Martinelli Roberta Maltoni Francesco Fabbri |
| author_facet | Tania Rossi Giulia Gallerani Giovanni Martinelli Roberta Maltoni Francesco Fabbri |
| author_sort | Tania Rossi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Breast cancer (BC) is a disease characterized by high degrees of heterogeneity at morphologic, genomic, and genetic levels, even within the same tumor mass or among patients. As a consequence, different subpopulations coexist and less represented clones may have a selective advantage, significantly influencing the outcome of BC patients. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) represent a rare population of cells with a crucial role in metastatic cascade, and in recent years have represented a fascinating alternative to overcome the heterogeneity issue as a “liquid biopsy”. However, besides the raw enumeration of these cells in advanced epithelial tumors, there are no CTC-based assays applied in the clinical practice to improve personalized medicine. In this review, we report the latest findings in the field of CTCs for intra-tumoral heterogeneity unmasking in BC, supporting the need to deepen their analysis to investigate their role in metastatic process and include the molecular characterization in the clinical practice. In the future, CTCs will be helpful in monitoring patients during treatment, as well as to better address therapeutic strategies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:52:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7c8355c6a07b469cbcdd1bbabfb6ba81 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9059 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:52:20Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biomedicines |
| spelling | doaj.art-7c8355c6a07b469cbcdd1bbabfb6ba812023-11-22T12:09:09ZengMDPI AGBiomedicines2227-90592021-09-0199124210.3390/biomedicines9091242Circulating Tumor Cells as a Tool to Untangle the Breast Cancer Heterogeneity IssueTania Rossi0Giulia Gallerani1Giovanni Martinelli2Roberta Maltoni3Francesco Fabbri4Biosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, ItalyBiosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, ItalyScientific Directorate, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, ItalyHealthcare Administration, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, ItalyBiosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, ItalyBreast cancer (BC) is a disease characterized by high degrees of heterogeneity at morphologic, genomic, and genetic levels, even within the same tumor mass or among patients. As a consequence, different subpopulations coexist and less represented clones may have a selective advantage, significantly influencing the outcome of BC patients. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) represent a rare population of cells with a crucial role in metastatic cascade, and in recent years have represented a fascinating alternative to overcome the heterogeneity issue as a “liquid biopsy”. However, besides the raw enumeration of these cells in advanced epithelial tumors, there are no CTC-based assays applied in the clinical practice to improve personalized medicine. In this review, we report the latest findings in the field of CTCs for intra-tumoral heterogeneity unmasking in BC, supporting the need to deepen their analysis to investigate their role in metastatic process and include the molecular characterization in the clinical practice. In the future, CTCs will be helpful in monitoring patients during treatment, as well as to better address therapeutic strategies.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/9/9/1242breast cancerliquid biopsycirculating tumor cellsheterogeneity |
| spellingShingle | Tania Rossi Giulia Gallerani Giovanni Martinelli Roberta Maltoni Francesco Fabbri Circulating Tumor Cells as a Tool to Untangle the Breast Cancer Heterogeneity Issue Biomedicines breast cancer liquid biopsy circulating tumor cells heterogeneity |
| title | Circulating Tumor Cells as a Tool to Untangle the Breast Cancer Heterogeneity Issue |
| title_full | Circulating Tumor Cells as a Tool to Untangle the Breast Cancer Heterogeneity Issue |
| title_fullStr | Circulating Tumor Cells as a Tool to Untangle the Breast Cancer Heterogeneity Issue |
| title_full_unstemmed | Circulating Tumor Cells as a Tool to Untangle the Breast Cancer Heterogeneity Issue |
| title_short | Circulating Tumor Cells as a Tool to Untangle the Breast Cancer Heterogeneity Issue |
| title_sort | circulating tumor cells as a tool to untangle the breast cancer heterogeneity issue |
| topic | breast cancer liquid biopsy circulating tumor cells heterogeneity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/9/9/1242 |
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