Circulating Polyploid Giant Cancer Cells, a Potential Prognostic Marker in Patients with Carcinoma

Author(s)

Chinen, Ludmilla Thome Domingos ; Torres, Jacqueline Aparecida ; Calsavara, Vinicius Fernando ; Brito, Angelo Borsarelli Carvalho ; Silva, Virgilio Sousa e ; Novello, Roberto Gabriel Santiago ; Fernandes, Thaissa Carvalho ; Decina, Alessandra ; Dachez, Roger ; Paterlini-Brechot, Patrizia

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES; v. 25, n. 18, p. 15-pg., 2024-09-01.

Abstract

Polyploid Giant Cancer Cells (PGCCs) have been recognized as tumor cells that are resistant to anticancer therapies. However, it remains unclear whether their presence in the bloodstream can be consistently detected and utilized as a clinical marker to guide therapeutic anticancer regimens. To address these questions, we conducted a retrospective study involving 228 patients diagnosed with six different types of carcinomas (colon, gastric, NSCLC, breast, anal canal, kidney), with the majority of them (70%) being non-metastatic. Employing a highly sensitive liquid biopsy approach, ISET (R), and cytopathological readout, we isolated and detected circulating PGCCs in the patients' blood samples. PGCCs were identified in 46 (20.18%) out of 228 patients, including in 14.47% of 152 non-metastatic and 29.85% of 67 metastatic cases. Patients were subsequently monitored for a mean follow up period of 44.74 months (95%CI: 33.39-55.79 months). Remarkably, the presence of circulating PGCCs emerged as a statistically significant indicator of poor overall survival. Our findings suggest that circulating PGCCs hold promise as a reliable prognostic indicator. They underscore the importance of further extensive investigations into the role of circulating PGCCs as a prognostic marker and the development of anti-PGCC therapeutic strategies to improve cancer management and patient survival. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 22/15151-3 - Evaluation of soluble PD-L1 in combination with its protein expression in circulating tumor cells and other soluble factors as serum markers of treatment response in patients with Non-Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer
• Grantee: Jacqueline Aparecida Torres
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate