Clinical application of drug screening in circulating tumor cells in patients with breast cancers

ISRCTN ISRCTN10116660
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN10116660
Submission date
04/08/2024
Registration date
29/08/2024
Last edited
29/08/2024
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Cancer
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data
Record updated in last year

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
Breast cancer is the leading cancer death for women worldwide, and the mortality rate is still high although several clinical drugs have been developed within this decade. Therapeutic failure results in tumor recurrence and metastasis is still a major challenge for clinicians and researchers. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are rare cells (1 CTCs/106 hematopoietic cells) in the peripheral blood that usually remain undetected by clinically used high-resolution imaging technologies. However, drug screening of CTCs for therapeutic purposes remains to be explored. This study aims to investigate the clinical impact of CTCs either in drug screening or survival of patients with breast cancer.

Who can participate?
Female newly diagnosed primary locally advanced breast cancer patients enrolled in Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

What does the study involve?
Participants were scheduled to receive either systemic treatment including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, target therapy or endocrine therapy for their tumors for CTC enumeration. A sample of primary tumor tissue was also taken for an immunohistochemistry study for correlation of the result of CTCs including the relationship of immune cells and tumor cells. The outcome of the patients will be evaluated including the clinical and pathological response of the treatment, time to progression and the follow-up time will be up to 3 years.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The study results do not influence the treatment option, so there is no direct benefit for clinical outcome but the study will provide prognostic information from the disease.
This is an observational study that does not contain any risk to the participants.

Where is the study run from?
Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Taiwan)

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
March 2020 to July 2023

Who is funding the study?
Chang Gung Medical Foundation (Taiwan)

Who is the main contact?
Hsu-Huan Chou (Principal Investigator), b9002009@cgmh.org.tw

Contact information

Mr Hsu-Huan Chou
Public, Scientific, Principal Investigator

4F., No. 15, Aly. 7, Ln. 240, Sec. 3, Roosevelt Rd., Zhongzheng Dist.
Taipei
100
Taiwan

ORCiD logoORCID ID 0000-0002-0948-1141
Phone +886919932188
Email b9002009@cgmh.org.tw

Study information

Study designSingle-center prospective observational trial
Primary study designObservational
Secondary study designCase series
Study setting(s)Hospital, Laboratory, Medical and other records
Study typeDiagnostic, Treatment
Participant information sheet No participant information sheet available
Scientific titleClinical application of drug screening in circulating tumor cells and exploring the impact of tumor microenvironment on the drug responses in patients with breast cancers
Study objectivesThe prognostic value of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is well established in breast cancer treatment, however, the drug screening of CTCs for therapeutic purposes remains to be explored. This study aims to investigate the clinical impact of CTCs in drug screening for the survival of patients with breast cancer.
Ethics approval(s)

Approved 05/03/2020, Chang Gung Medical Foundation Institutional Review Board (199, Tung Hwa North Road, Taipei city, 10507, Taiwan; +886-3-3196200 #3703; irb1@cgmh.org.tw), ref: 202000120A3

Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedClinical application of drug screening in circulating tumor cells in patients with breast cancers
InterventionThis study will investigate the clinical impact of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in drug screening for the survival of patients with breast cancer. While the predictive value of CTCs is well established in breast cancer treatment, their role in drug screening for therapeutic purposes remains to be explored.

This study is a prospective observational cohort study involving a single study group, without an intervention or control group for comparison. Blood samples will be collected both before and after treatment for research purposes.

It is important to note that no intervention will be conducted throughout the study, and the results of the in vitro tests will not influence the treatment decisions for the patients. The study period will extend from enrollment to the end of medical data participation, encompassing the total duration of observation and follow-up.
Intervention typeOther
Primary outcome measureCorrelation between anti-cancer drug tests and patient's clinical outcome measured using data collected from patient medical records as the evaluation of drug response between baseline and 3 to 6 months after treatment
Secondary outcome measuresThe prognostic and predictive role of the count of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) measured using a fluorescence microscope to count CTCs and CTC-white blood cells (WBCs) at baseline, 3 to 6 months after treatment

Overall study start date05/03/2020
Completion date31/07/2023

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupMixed
Lower age limit18 Years
Upper age limit80 Years
SexFemale
Target number of participants50
Total final enrolment34
Key inclusion criteriaNewly diagnosed primary locally advanced female breast cancer patients
Key exclusion criteria1. Participants undergoing primary surgery
2. Without informed consent
Date of first enrolment05/03/2020
Date of final enrolment31/07/2023

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Taiwan

Study participating centre

Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou
No.5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist.
Taoyuan City
333
Taiwan

Sponsor information

Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
Hospital/treatment centre

Department of Medical Research and Development, Chang Gung Medical Foundation
No.5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist.
Taoyuan City
333
Taiwan

Phone +886-3-3281200 #7675
Email a0643@cgmh.org.tw
Website https://www.cgmh.org.tw/eng
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/02dnn6q67

Funders

Funder type

Charity

Chang Gung Medical Foundation
Private sector organisation / Trusts, charities, foundations (both public and private)
Location
Taiwan

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date31/08/2024
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareYes
IPD sharing plan summaryPublished as a supplement to the results publication
Publication and dissemination planPlanned publication in a peer-reviewed journal
IPD sharing planThe datasets generated during the current study will be published as a supplement to the results publication.

Editorial Notes

05/08/2024: Study's existence confirmed by the Chang Gung Medical Foundation Institutional Review Board.