Biomedicines (Jan 2023)

Liquid Biopsy Detecting Circulating Tumor Cells in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Preliminary Results of a Pilot Study

  • Maria Giovanna Mastromarino,
  • Sara Parini,
  • Danila Azzolina,
  • Sara Habib,
  • Marzia Luigia De Marni,
  • Chiara Luise,
  • Silvia Restelli,
  • Guido Baietto,
  • Elena Trisolini,
  • Fabio Massera,
  • Esther Papalia,
  • Giulia Bora,
  • Roberta Carbone,
  • Caterina Casadio,
  • Renzo Boldorini,
  • Ottavio Rena

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11010153
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
p. 153

Abstract

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Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Interest is growing towards early detection and advances in liquid biopsy to isolate circulating tumor cells (CTCs). This pilot study aimed to detect epithelial CTCs in the peripheral blood of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. We used Smart BioSurface® (SBS) slide, a nanoparticle-coated slide able to immobilize viable nucleated cellular fraction without pre-selection and preserve cell integrity. Forty patients undergoing lung resection for NSCLC were included; they were divided into two groups according to CTC value, with a cut-off of three CTCs/mL. All patients were positive for CTCs. The mean CTC value was 4.7(± 5.8 S.D.) per ml/blood. In one patient, next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis of CTCs revealed v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B(BRAF) V600E mutation, which has also been identified in tissue biopsy. CTCs count affected neither overall survival (OS, p = 0.74) nor progression-free survival (p = 0.829). Multivariable analysis confirmed age (p = 0.020) and pNodal-stage (p = 0.028) as negative predictors of OS. Preliminary results of this pilot study suggest the capability of this method in detecting CTCs in all early-stage NSCLC patients. NGS on single cell, identified as CTC by immunofluorescence staining, is a powerful tool for investigating the molecular landscape of cancer, with the aim of personalized therapies.

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