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Single cancer cells that have already spread to distant organs, often found in bone marrow years before any metastasis appears.
Disseminated tumour cells (DTCs) are single cancer cells that have already spread to distant organs, often found in bone marrow years before any metastasis appears. They are detected by bone marrow aspiration with cytokeratin staining in a substantial minority of early breast cancer patients and are prognostic for relapse, yet most are dormant and non-proliferating, as described in The metastatic cascade and Tumour dormancy pathways. DTCs are the biological substrate of Minimal / molecular residual disease (MRD), measured by MRD / molecular residual disease testing, and of Late recurrence. Readers meet the term in the hallmark Activating invasion and metastasis, the Metastasis and Recurrence and relapse entries, and the idea What decides which disseminated cells ever colonise?
Showing the technology this term belongs to: MRD / molecular residual disease testing.
Shares What decides which disseminated cells ever colonise?, Intravasation & circulating tumour cells, The metastatic cascade.
Shares Late recurrence, Tumour dormancy, The metastatic cascade, Minimal / molecular residual disease (MRD).
Shares Hallmark: activating invasion and metastasis, Metastasis, The metastatic cascade.
Shares Hallmark: activating invasion and metastasis, Metastasis, The metastatic cascade.
Shares Late recurrence, Minimal / molecular residual disease (MRD), MRD / molecular residual disease testing.
Shares Hallmark: activating invasion and metastasis, Metastasis.
Shares Late recurrence, Minimal / molecular residual disease (MRD), MRD / molecular residual disease testing.
Shares Late recurrence, Minimal / molecular residual disease (MRD), MRD / molecular residual disease testing.