Circulating levels of transforming growth factor-βeta (TGF-β) and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand-1 (CXCL1) as predictors of distant seeding of circulating tumor cells in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Abstract

Our study shows that elevated circulating levels of TGF-β and CXCL1 are associated with a poor prognosis, and higher detection of CTCs and propensity of these cells to seed lung metastases in patients with breast cancer.