Journal article
Mobilization of viable tumor cells into the circulation during radiation therapy
OA Martin, RL Anderson, PA Russell, R Ashley Cox, A Ivashkevich, A Swierczak, JP Doherty, DHM Jacobs, J Smith, S Siva, PE Daly, DL Ball, RF Martin, MP MacManus
International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics | ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC | Published : 2014
Abstract
Purpose To determine whether radiation therapy (RT) could mobilize viable tumor cells into the circulation of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods and Materials We enumerated circulating tumor cells (CTCs) by fluorescence microscopy of blood samples immunostained with conventional CTC markers. We measured their DNA damage levels using γ-H2AX, a biomarker for radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks, either by fluorescence-activated cell sorting or by immunofluorescence microscopy. Results Twenty-seven RT-treated NSCLC patients had blood samples analyzed by 1 or more methods. We identified increased CTC numbers after commencement of RT in 7 of 9 patients treated with palliat..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The authors thank Kailash Narayan, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, for valuable insights and discussions; Ralph Rossi, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, for FACS analysis and sorting; Kerryn Jones and Prasad Singh, St. Vincent's Hospital, for advice and technical help; Nickala Best and Mark Elliman, who was supported by Cancer Council Victoria Cancer Research Vacation Studentship, both from Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, for technical assistance; William Bonner, National Cancer Institute, for his thoughtful support; and Lester Peters, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, for his critical thinking and extensive knowledge of experimental models of metastasis.