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The biology and clinical potential of circulating tumor cells

Taja Lozar

Taja Lozar

Faculty of Medicine, University of LjubljanaLjubljana, Slovenia
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Lozar, Taja
, 
Klara Gersak

Klara Gersak

  • Faculty of Medicine, University of LjubljanaLjubljana, Slovenia
  • Institute of Oncology LjubljanaLjubljana, Slovenia
  • General Hospital IzolaIzola, Slovenia
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Gersak, Klara
, 
Maja Cemazar

Maja Cemazar

  • Institute of Oncology LjubljanaLjubljana, Slovenia
  • Faculty of Health Sciences, University of PrimorskaIzola, Slovenia
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Cemazar, Maja
, 
Cvetka Grasic Kuhar

Cvetka Grasic Kuhar

Institute of Oncology LjubljanaLjubljana, Slovenia
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Kuhar, Cvetka Grasic
 and 
Tanja Jesenko

Tanja Jesenko

Institute of Oncology LjubljanaLjubljana, Slovenia
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Jesenko, Tanja
  
May 08, 2019
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Article Category: Review
Published Online: May 08, 2019
Page range: 131 - 147
Received: Mar 23, 2019
Accepted: May 03, 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/raon-2019-0024
Keywords
© 2019 Taja Lozar, Klara Gersak, Maja Cemazar, Cvetka Grasic Kuhar, Tanja Jesenko, published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Figure 1

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can enter the blood vessel via active intravasation involving epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) or by passive shedding due to compromised tumor vasculature. CTCs can exist in different phenotypes- epithelial, mesenchymal or both- hybrid epithelial/ mesenchymal phenotype (hybrid E/M). CTCs can be found in the form of individual cells or cell clusters; the latter show increased metastatic potential compared to individual CTCs. Platelet-CTC interaction in the blood vessel acts as a shield against the shear stress of blood flow, immune attack and also enables the adhesion to the blood vessel wall and extravasation. After the arrest of CTCs in the bone marrow or distant organ, they can extravasate and remain in the target tissue in the form of disseminated tumor cell (DTC).
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can enter the blood vessel via active intravasation involving epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) or by passive shedding due to compromised tumor vasculature. CTCs can exist in different phenotypes- epithelial, mesenchymal or both- hybrid epithelial/ mesenchymal phenotype (hybrid E/M). CTCs can be found in the form of individual cells or cell clusters; the latter show increased metastatic potential compared to individual CTCs. Platelet-CTC interaction in the blood vessel acts as a shield against the shear stress of blood flow, immune attack and also enables the adhesion to the blood vessel wall and extravasation. After the arrest of CTCs in the bone marrow or distant organ, they can extravasate and remain in the target tissue in the form of disseminated tumor cell (DTC).

Figure 2

Clinical applications of CTCs.
Clinical applications of CTCs.
Language:
English
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Journal Subjects:
Medicine, Clinical Medicine, Internal Medicine, Haematology, Oncology, Radiology
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