Table 3.
CTCs and organ metastases
| Characteristics | Number | TCTCs | ECTCs | EMCTCs | MCTCs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medium or large pleural effusion | |||||
| Yes | 7 | 8 (2, 30) | 1 (0, 6) | 4 (1, 14) | 3 (0, 4)* |
| No | 23 | 5 (1, 8) | 0 (0, 2) | 4 (0, 8) | 0 (0, 0)* |
| Intra-lung metastases | |||||
| Yes | 24 | 5.5 (2, 12.75) | 1 (0, 2) | 4.5 (0.25, 8.75) | 0 (0, 1) |
| No | 5 | 3 (0.5, 8.5) | 1 (0, 3) | 2 (0, 4) | 0 (0, 2) |
| Homolateral lung metastases | |||||
| Yes | 23 | 6 (2, 13) | 1 (0, 2) | 5 (1, 9) | 0 (0, 1) |
| No | 6 | 2.5 (0.75, 7.75) | 1 (0, 2.75) | 1 (0, 3) | 0 (0, 1.5) |
| Contralateral lung metastases | |||||
| Yes | 15 | 7 (3, 14) | 1 (0, 2) | 6 (0, 11) | 0 (0, 2) |
| No | 14 | 3.5 (1, 7.25) | 0 (0, 1) | 1.5 (0, 6) | 0 (0, 0.25) |
| Extra-lung metastases | |||||
| Yes | 22 | 7 (3, 12.5) | 1 (0, 2.5)* | 4 (1, 8.25) | 0 (0, 2.25) |
| No | 7 | 1 (0, 8) | 0 (0, 0)* | 1 (0, 8) | 0 (0, 0) |
| Bone metastases | |||||
| Yes | 20 | 7 (3.25, 13.5) | 1 (0, 3.5)* | 4 (1.25, 8.75) | 0 (0, 2.75) |
| No | 9 | 1 (0, 7.5) | 0 (0, 0.5)* | 1 (0, 7) | 0 (0, 0) |
| Cranium metastases | |||||
| Yes | 4 | 5 (2, 24.5) | 1 (0.25, 4.75) | 2.5 (1, 13) | 2 (0, 7) |
| No | 25 | 6 (2, 11) | 0 (0, 2) | 4 (0, 8) | 0 (0, 1) |
| Truncal bone (except vertebra) metastases | |||||
| Yes | 10 | 5 (2.75, 30.5) | 1 (0, 5.25) | 3.5 (0.75, 9.5) | 0.5 (0, 4.25) |
| No | 19 | 7 (1, 8) | 0 (0, 1) | 4 (0, 8) | 0 (0, 1) |
| Vertebra metastases | |||||
| Yes | 15 | 7 (3, 14) | 1 (0, 2)* | 4 (1, 9) | 0 (0, 2) |
| No | 14 | 5 (0.75, 8) | 0 (0, 1)* | 3.5 (0, 6.5) | 0 (0, 0.5) |
| Extremities metastases | |||||
| Yes | 6 | 3.5 (2.75, 11.25) | 0.5 (0, 4.5) | 2.5 (0.75, 7.75) | 0 (0, 2.75) |
| No | 23 | 7 (1, 12) | 1 (0, 2) | 4 (0, 8) | 0 (0, 2) |
| Abdominal metastases | |||||
| Yes | 7 | 5 (2, 32) | 1 (0, 6) | 5 (1, 14) | 0 (0, 8) |
| No | 22 | 6.5 (1.75, 8.5) | 0.5 (0, 2) | 3.5 (0, 6.5) | 0 (0, 1) |
| Kidney metastases | |||||
| Yes | 3 | 5 (1, 30) | 1 (0, 6) | 5 (0, 16) | 0 (0, 8) |
| No | 26 | 6.5 (2, 10.5) | 0.5 (0, 2) | 4 (0.75, 8) | 0 (0, 1.25) |
| Adrenal gland metastases | |||||
| Yes | 4 | 18 (2.5, 44) | 0.5 (0, 23.5) | 6 (1.75, 12.5) | 1.5 (0, 18.75) |
| No | 25 | 6 (1.5, 9) | 1 (0, 2) | 4 (0, 7) | 0 (0, 1) |
| Liver metastases | |||||
| Yes | 1 | 2 (2, 2) | 1 (1, 1) | 1 (1, 1) | 0 (0, 0) |
| No | 28 | 6.5 (2.25, 11.5) | 0.5 (0, 2) | 4 (0.25, 8) | 0 (0, 1.75) |
| Brain metastases | |||||
| Yes | 10 | 9 (6.5, 15.25) | 1 (0.75, 2.75) | 4 (3.5, 11.75) | 0.5 (0, 3) |
| No | 19 | 4 (1, 8) | 0 (0, 2) | 2 (0, 6) | 0 (0, 1) |
| Number of organ metastases | |||||
| <3 | 17 | 5 (0.5, 7.5)* | 0 (0, 1.5) | 3 (0, 6)* | 0 (0, 0)* |
| ≥3 | 12 | 11 (3.25, 27.25)* | 1 (0.25, 3.5) | 7 (1.25, 13.25)* | 1 (0, 3)* |
Notes:
*
P<0.05; statistical description: median (figures outside the parentheses) and interquartile range (figures in the parentheses).
Abbreviations: CTCs, circulating tumor cells; ECTCs, epithelial circulating tumor cells; EMCTCs, epithelial–mesenchymal circulating tumor cells; MCTCs, mesenchymal circulating tumor cells; TCTCs, total CTCs.