Value of folate receptor-positive circulating tumour cells in the clinical management of indeterminate lung nodules: A non-invasive biomarker for predicting malignancy and tumour invasivenessResearch in context
Qianjun Zhou,
Qing Geng,
Lin Wang,
Jia Huang,
Meilin Liao,
Yan Li,
Zhengping Ding,
Shentu Yang,
Hang Zhao,
Qiang Shen,
Changqing Pan,
Jiatao Lou,
Shun Lu,
Chang Chen,
Qingquan Luo
Affiliations
Qianjun Zhou
Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Qing Geng
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
Lin Wang
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Jia Huang
Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Meilin Liao
Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Yan Li
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
Zhengping Ding
Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Shentu Yang
Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Hang Zhao
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Qiang Shen
Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
Changqing Pan
Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Jiatao Lou
Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Corresponding authors at: Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
Shun Lu
Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Corresponding authors at: Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
Chang Chen
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Corresponding author at: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China.
Qingquan Luo
Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Corresponding authors at: Shanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
Background: Non-invasive lung adenocarcinoma could benefit from limited resection, nonetheless, there is a lack of method to determine preoperative tumour invasiveness. We aimed to investigate whether folate receptor-positive circulating tumour cells (FR+-CTCs) in combination with maximum tumour diameter (MTD) determines, before surgery, the invasiveness of small-sized, indeterminate solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs). Methods: A total of 382 patients with suspicious lung adenocarcinoma on computed tomography who were expected to undergo lung resection were enrolled in this study at three participating institutes and randomly assigned into training and validation cohorts. Before surgery, 3 mL peripheral blood was collected from all participants. FR+-CTCs were analyzed using immunomagnetic leukocyte depletion and quantitated by ligand-targeted PCR method. After surgery, the resected tissues were diagnosed by pathologists according to IASLC/ATS/ERS classification. Findings: FR+-CTC levels in the peripheral blood can differentiate benign from malignant nodules with a sensitivity of 78·6%–82·7% and a specificity of 68·8%–78·4%. Both FR+-CTC and MTD are independent predictive indices of invasive tumours for lung adenocarcinoma ≤2 cm based on multivariate analyses. Further, FR+-CTC count in combination with MTD can differentiate non-invasive cancers from invasive cancers with a sensitivity of 63·6%–81·8% and a specificity of 71·4%–89·7%. Interpretation: Detection of FR+-CTC is a reliable method to differentiate malignancy of indeterminate SPNs. Combining of FR+-CTC count and MTD could possibly enhance preoperative determination of the invasiveness of lung nodules and guide surgeons to select limited lung resection and avoid overtreatment for patients with non-invasive lesions. Fund: None. Keywords: Circulating tumour cells, Folate receptor, Non-small cell lung cancer, Tumour invasiveness, Limited lung resection
