Circulating Tumor Cells in Breast Cancer Metastatic Disease

This book compiles the latest research and key findings about the role of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in Breast Cancer progression, both from the research and clinical standpoint. Based on latest advancements, the content of the book is set out to provide a clear overview about the biology and use of CTCs as a tool for the monitoring and management of breast cancer patients. This work covers basic concepts about the process of metastasis, the biology of CTCs and their potential applications as a biomarker in breast cancer. It will enable readers to delve into the process of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP), mechanisms and clinical implications of tumor cell dormancy and minimal residual disease, and into the phenotypical and molecular heterogeneity of CTCs and CTC clusters, including the epigenetic characterization of CTCs. Readers will find out about the key technologies used for the isolation of CTCs as well as the latest advances towards the characterization of CTCs, involving single cell analyses and patient-derived models. It will discuss the evidences about the use of CTCs as a tool to monitor breast cancer progression and therapy response, as well as to unravel mechanisms of resistance to therapy and to identify new therapeutic targets favoring the development of novel anticancer drugs. Lastly, it will discuss ongoing clinical trials and try to foresee the future of CTCs in terms of clinical application and implementation in the clinical routine.

The topic of this book is particularly relevant for cancer researchers and oncologist with an interest in the field, looking to refresh or to broaden their knowledge and understanding about the use of CTCs as a diagnostic biomarker in breast cancer.