Table 2. Correlation between CTCs status before (CTC1) and after surgery (CTC2) and clinicopathological characteristics.

		CTC1			CTC2
		N(%) +	N(%) -	p	N(%) +	N(%) -	p
Age (years)	< 70	13 (41.9%)	18 (58.1%)	0.116	11 (35.5%)	20 (64.5%)	0.58
	≥ 70	16 (64%)	9 (36%)		7 (28%)	18 (72%)
Gender	Male	27 (54%)	23 (46%)	0.301	17 (34%)	33 (66%)	0.363
	Female	2 (33.3%)	4 (66.7%)		1 (16.7%)	5 (83.3%)
p TNM Stage	I	13 (50%)	13 (50%)	0.508	7 (26.9%)	19 (73.1%)	0.313
	II-III	16 (53.3%)	14 (46.7%)		11 (36.7%)	19 (63.3%)
Nodal status	N0	21 (48.8%)	22 (51.2%)	0.315	14 (32.6%)	29 (67.4%)	0.594
	N1-N2	8 (61.5%)	5 (38.5%)		4 (30.8%)	9 (69.2%)
Tumor size	< 3	13 (56.5%)	10 (43.5%)	0.375	7 (30.4%)	16 (69.6%)	0.527
(cm)	≥ 3	16 (48.5%)	17 (51.5%)		11 (33.3%)	22 (66.7%)
PET	< 7	7 (63.6%)	4 (36.4%)	0.380	4 (36.4%)	7 (63.6%)	0.738
(max SUV value)
	≥ 7	22 (48.9%)	23 (51.1%)		14 (31.1%)	31 (68.9%)
Histology	Adenocarcinoma	11 (44%)	14 (56%)	0.218	8 (32%)	17 (68%)	0.606
	Other	18 (58.1%)	13 (41.9%)		10 (32.3%)	21 (67.7%)
Surgical approach	Thoracotomy	18 (50%)	18 (50%)	0.469	12 (33.3%)	24 (66.7%)	0.521
	VATS	11 (55%)	9 (45%)		6 (30%)	14 (70%)
Type of ressection	Pneumonectomy	4 (50%)	4 (50%)	0.605	0 (0%)	8 (100%)	0.034
	Other	25 (52.1%)	23 (47.9%)		18 (37.5%)	30 (62.5%)

(N: Number of patients)