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Table 1 Immunocytochemical detection of occult metastatic cancer cells in bone marrow of breast cancer patients

From: Recent advances in technologies for the detection of occult metastatic cells in bone marrow of breast cancer patients

Marker

Preparation

Patients (n)

Detection rate (%)

Prognostic value

Reference

Mucin

Biopsy

159

16

None

[15]

Mucin

Cell smears

25

48

None

[14]

Mucin/CK

Cell smears

71

38

None

[13]

Mucin/CK

Cell smears

49

37

DFS, OS

[11]

Mucin/CK

Cell smears

100

38

DFS, OS*

[10]

Mucin

Cell smears

727

43

DFS, OS*

[3]

CK

Biopsy

128

19

DFS, OS*

[9]

CK18

Cytospins

581

28

None

[12]

Mucin

Cell smears

350

25

DFS, OS

[2]

CK

Cytospins

552

36

DDFS, OS*

[1]

  1. *Prognostic value confirmed by multivariate analysis. CK, cytokeratin; DDFS, distant disease-free survival; DFS, disease-free survival; OS, overall survival.