Skip to main content
Fig. 3 | Journal of Hematology & Oncology

Fig. 3

From: Sampling circulating tumor cells for clinical benefits: how frequent?

Fig. 3

Hypothetical models of different sampling times for molecular assays of CTCs. a CTC count pattern and resistance mutation (Mut X) detection in a hypothetical cancer patient on targeted therapy. Mut X indicates presence of the mutation at low allele frequency. CTC count patterns and resistance mutation detection are simulated when the frequency of sampling is increased from once in 2 months (red squares) to once in two weeks (green circles). The bars below show the impact of earlier resistance mutation detection on choice of therapy. The red bars indicate the therapeutic strategy with infrequent CTC sampling while green bars indicate the therapeutic strategy with frequent CTC sampling. Time saved will vary, depending on when Mut X is detected at high allele frequency between week 6 and 15. b CTC count pattern and epithelial-mesenchymal phenotypes in a hypothetical patient with CTCs oscillating between the epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes. Frequent sampling time is indicated in red, while infrequent sampling times are simulated in blue (infrequent sampling 1) and green (infrequent sampling 2). Infrequent sampling 1 and 2 differ in their start time for first sampling. The proportion of mesenchymal phenotype is indicated in the bars below in blue while that of epithelial phenotype is indicated in white

Back to article page