Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa)

Abstract

The great advances in mPCa management recently obtained with the second-line treatments have highlighted the need to identify and exploit surrogate endpoints for survival of patients and effectiveness of treatment. These surrogate endpoints could be also used to reduce size and costs of pivotal trials of new molecules and the time from the benchtop to the patients’ bedside. A large consensus is emerging in the scientific community that circulating tumor cells (CTCs) meet the criteria required for a surrogate endpoint, particularly in mPCa. The main open question about the clinical management of mPCa is discussed, with the intent to underscore how the extended use of CTC detection and characterization can offer further benefit to these patients.