Enumeration and Molecular Analysis of CTCs in Metastatic Disease: The Breast Cancer Model

Molecular characterization of CTCs holds considerable promise for the identification of therapeutic targets and resistance mechanisms and for real-time monitoring of the efficacy of systemic therapies in patients with metastatic breast cancer. A variety of state-of-the-art systems are available for CTC isolation, detection, and molecular characterization. Analysis of CTCs at the gene expression, DNA methylation, and DNA mutation level holds considerable promise for an individualized treatment approach for patients with metastatic breast cancer.