Brunsvig PF et al. – The immunomagnetic method is a feasible strategy to detect bone marrow micrometastases in NSCLC, although in advanced disease, presence of MOC31-positive cells in bone marrow does not predict pt survival; repeat bone marrow analyses in long-term survivors shows potentially dormant tumor cells Methods
Immunomagnetic selection with MOC31 (anti-EpCam) antibody to isolate and detect tumor cells in bone marrow aspirates from 196 NSCLC pts
Follow-up to assess pt survival
Repeat bone marrow samples (2–7 samples/pt) from 13 long-term survivors
Results
MOC31-positive tumor cells found in 107 of 196 (55%) samples
No association between presence of bone marrow micrometastases and disease stage or histologic subgroup
Survival similar in pts with/without detectable tumor cells in bone marrow
Repeat bone marrow analysis showed continued presence of tumor cells regardless of given therapy and treatment response
See all
