Early circulating tumor cell dynamics were associated with overall survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer, according to a meta-analysis presented during General Session 4 at SABCS 20 on Friday, Dec. 11.
“With the increasing number of treatment options available to patients with metastatic breast cancer, being able to predict and monitor treatment responses rapidly will be critical to aiding treatment decisions,” said Wolfgang Janni, MD, PhD, Professor and Director of the women’s clinic at Ulm University Hospital in Ulm, Germany. Responses to breast cancer treatment are typically monitored by conventional imaging, but this method requires time—approximately three months, depending on the subtype—before changes can be detected, Janni explained. “We were interested in determining whether treatment response and prognosis could be predicted earlier using a simple blood test.”