Haematogenic dissemination of tumour cells in breast carcinoma is among the most intensively
researched areas in translational oncology. Large meta-analyses have shown the prognostic
relevance of the disseminated tumour cells in the bone marrow and circulating tumour
cells in the peripheral blood in the adjuvant as well as metastatic setting. The current
status of the research was discussed in detail during the annual meeting of the German
Society of Senology in Berlin. The following conference report gives an overview of
the clinical study landscape and the new methodological developments for improving
the detection and phenotyping of the circulating and disseminated tumour cells.
Key words
tumour cell dissemination - circulating tumour cells - disseminated tumour cells -
breast carcinoma