We posit that disseminating tumour cells detected in the bone marrow or in the circulation are either cancer stem cells with full metastatic potential, tumour-bulk cells, or dormant cancer cells. This model has both therapeutic and diagnostic implications, raising concern over inadequate treatment as well as the possibility of overtreatment resulting from overdiagnosis.
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Acknowledgements
K.P. receives funding from CANCER-ID, an Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking under grant agreement 115749, resources of which are composed of financial contribution from the European Union's Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) and EFPIA companies' in-kind contribution, and from the European Research Council (Advanced Investigator grant 269081 DISSECT). D.F.H. receives funding from the Fashion Footwear Charitable Foundation of New York/QVC Presents Shoes on Sale.
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K.P. has received research funding from Janssen Diagnostics. D.F.H. receives research funding from Astra Zeneca, Eli Lilly, Merrimack, Pfizer, and Puma; honoraria from Janssen Diagnostics; is the named inventor on a patent held by the University of Michigan on the CTC-Endocrine Therapy Index; receives annual royalties from the commercial manufacturer of CellSearch® (previously Janssen, now Menarini Silicon Biosystems); is an adviser and board member of Pfizer; and has stock options in InBiomotion and OncImmune.
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Pantel, K., Hayes, D. Disseminated breast tumour cells: biological and clinical meaning. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 15, 129–131 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2017.174
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2017.174
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