Folate receptor-positive circulating tumor cells as a potential biomarker for breast cancer diagnosis
Juan Li, Jing Fu, Dandan Zhang, Gang HuObjectives:
This study investigated the potential of folate receptor-positive circulating tumor cells (FR+CTCs) as a non-invasive biomarker for breast cancer diagnosis and clinical stratification.
Materials and Methods:
Between January 2024 and October 2024, 179 breast cancer patients and 38 patients with benign breast diseases were enrolled at Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, China. FR+CTCs were isolated from peripheral blood using the CytoploRare® kit and quantified via real-time polymerase chain reaction. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.
Results:
FR+CTC levels were significantly higher in breast cancer patients compared to those with benign diseases ( P <0.001). The ROC analysis yielded an area under the curve of 0.871 (95% confidence interval: 0.818– 0.924), with a sensitivity of 82.12% and specificity of 84.21%. In addition, FR+CTC levels correlated significantly with T, N, M, and tumor node metastasis stages, as well as molecular subtypes, particularly human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 ( P <0.05).
Conclusion:
FR+CTCs demonstrate significant potential as a non-invasive biomarker for breast cancer, showing high diagnostic accuracy and associations with key clinical characteristics. While promising, these findings warrant validation in larger, more diverse populations.