Metastatic breast cancers : a new tool for treatment choice?

Circulating tumoral cells (CTCs) are cells that have detached from the solid tumor and move around the body in the bloodstream. The number of CTCs in the blood is one of the prognostic markers for metastatic breast cancers including HER2+ breast cancer. 

Bidard et al ask the question: can the CTC count be used as a reliable, standardized and reproducible alternative to clinical evaluation as the basis for determining the first-line treatment choice for these cancers ?

In this article, the team presents the results of the randomized clinical trial STIC CTC initially set up to reply to this question, which confirms their hypothesis. CTCs could be a new tool for clinicians and have an impact on care.