Tumor cells that depart from the primary tumor, travel through the circulating system and finally settle in other organs are the main reason why cancers are so difficult to cure. They are also the main reason why most patients eventually die after the primary tumors are removed by surgery. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been established as a cancer biomarker of known prognostic and diagnostic values. This study investigates the prognostic relevance of CTCs detected in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 13 NSCLC patients before administration of systemic therapies. Viable CTCs were enriched by using a novel flexible micro spring array (FMSA) device and analyzed quantitatively based on immunocytochemical determination of the phenotype and morphological characteristics. The CTC counts and their characteristics were evaluated for association with clinical outcomes using the log rank test and Cox regression model. We find that CTC counts does not have a significant effect on survival and tumor burden has a significant effect on survival. There was not enough evidence that CTC characteristics have a significant effect on patient survival.
