Circulating tumour cell (CTC) counts as intermediate end points in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC): a single-centre experience

Ann Oncol. 2009 Jan;20(1):27-33. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdn544. Epub 2008 Aug 11.

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of circulating tumour cell (CTC) counts, before and after commencing treatment, with overall survival (OS) in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

Experimental design: A 7.5 ml of blood was collected before and after treatment in 119 patients with CRPC. CTCs were enumerated using the CellSearchSystem.

Results: Higher CTC counts associated with baseline characteristics portending aggressive disease. Multivariate analyses indicated that a CTC >or=5 was an independent prognostic factor at all time points evaluated. Patients with baseline CTC >or=5 had shorter OS than those with <5 [median OS 19.5 versus >30 months, hazard ratio (HR) 3.25, P=0.012]; patients with CTC >50 had a poorer OS than those with CTCs 5-50 (median OS 6.3 versus 21.1 months, HR 4.1, P<0.001). Patients whose CTC counts reduced from >or=5 at baseline to <5 following treatment had a better OS compared with those who did not. CTC counts showed a similar, but earlier and independent, ability to time to disease progression to predict OS.

Conclusion: CTC counts predict OS and provide independent prognostic information to time to disease progression; CTC dynamics following therapy need to be evaluated as an intermediate end point of outcome in randomised phase III trials.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Biomarkers / analysis
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Cell Count
  • Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic
  • Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic
  • Disease Progression
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / pathology*
  • Orchiectomy*
  • Prognosis
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / mortality
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / surgery
  • Survival Analysis
  • Treatment Failure

Substances

  • Biomarkers