Disseminated tumor cells in the bone marrow of patients with operable primary breast cancer: prognostic value and tumor phenotype

Objectives: Disseminated tumor cells (DTC) in the bone marrow (BM) of primary breast cancer (BC) patients are a promising surrogate marker of micrometastatic spread and an independent predictor of poor prognosis for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). This study aims to analyze DTCs as an independent prognostic factor for disease free and overall survival in regard to the immunophenotype of the primary breast cancer. Methods: 504 patients with operable primary BC and a medium observation time of 72 months have been included. DTCs were detected via immunohistochemistry as MUC-1 positive cells i…