Association between the presence of CTCs before starting a new line of chemotherapy and response to treatment.

<p>Higher response rate is observed in CTC-negative patients at baseline (A). Dynamic variation of CTCs numbers before and after treatment in patients (n = 10) with at least two determinations and at least one CTC at any time point. CTCs changes did not correlate with tumor response (B).</p

Patients characteristics at baseline.

<p>Patients characteristics at baseline.</p

Kaplan-Meier estimates of overall survival according to a combined risk factors model with Argiris factors and CTCs.

<p>Continuous line indicates absence of both risk factors; small dotted line indicates the presence of only one of the two risk factors; large dotted line indicates the presence of both risk factors.</p

Example of CTCs analysis in a patient with mediastinal and axillary nodal metastases from an oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

<p>(A) the CellSearch output of baseline CTC analysis showing two CTCs with heterogeneous EGFR expression. (B) Timeline of CTC analysis and treatments. (C) Correlative imaging analysis by CT/PET at baseline and after chemotherapy. In this patient 3 CTCs were detected at baseline. After 4 cycles of a chemotherapy, CTC number rised to 9 suggesting progressive disease then confirmed by CT/PET imaging.</p

Univariate associations between CTCs at baseline and clinico-pathologic characteristics.

<p>Univariate associations between CTCs at baseline and clinico-pathologic characteristics.</p